To Save Thy Enemy
by LonestarKnight
Summary: SiegfriedxCassandra...eventually. Ch 12 is up! Siegfried battles for his and Cassandra's freedom while Dyne leads a revolution.
1. Rebirth of A Nightmare

**Chapter 1: Rebirth of A Nightmare**

_"My name is Siegfried Schtauffen, or as the world knows me as, Nightmare. Seven years ago I defeated a pirate called Cervantes. As a reward, I became Soul Edge's new master. Heh, no, I became its new puppet. A whole year my body was taken over and used to kill innocents. While I was awake, I spent every ounce of energy I had to fight the sword in my hands, but at night, in the midst of my sleep, I changed to that of a demon's form and slaughtered countless. Untold number of warriors challenged my army and vanquished it. But at the same time, many of these warriors faced me in battle and lost. Sometimes I managed to cause enough strife inside my body that forced the demon controlling me to flee or use too much of its power to knock out his opponent, leaving the raging beast too weak to strike the finishing blow."_

_"Then, as luck would have it, three warriors called the Trio of Light showed up from the far east wielding a powerful sword called Soul Calibur. Unfortunately for them, their wielder of the sword was not the sword's rightful master, and at the same time, they were fortunate that I feed off of the sword's energy to allow myself to paralyze the beast within and allow them to create a void and send the demon and myself into it. Ah, but I only wish that was the end of it. Less than a month later, I managed to create a rip in the void and escape with Soul Edge. Except this time, because of Soul Calibur's energy, I was able to keep Soul Edge at bay. For how long? I did not know."_ A sigh crept from the young knight's lips as he wrote into the journal. In his hand was a quill, carefully placed between the metal plating surrounding his finger tips. His eyes slowly glanced at the fissure in the dark cave's floor where a tainted red light shined dimly through, covering the walls and ceiling with its wickedness.

Ignoring the light, the armored young knight went back to the journal, _"Three years later, I found myself powerless once again to that wicked sword. No matter how hard I try, I could no longer fight it. For in those short three years, it seemed to have gained in power. My body was completely taken over, even when I was awake. If only I hadn't went on that search to find the power to bring my deceased father back to life. As I was saying, over a year had went by and it never stopped. As it gathered more Soul Edge fragments, the more powerful the sword became. When it was whole, its might was truly fearsome. With one swing, armies were engulfed in flame, cities perished in the wind, and lives shattered like a mirror. The warriors of the past returned to defeat me once more, though, among them were some I had recognized and some I didn't. The Trio of Light had returned as well, except this time, they were very confidence that Soul Calibur would defeat Soul Edge once more. How wrong could they be?"_

The long hair knight slowly dipped his quill pen in the ink and continued to scribe inside the journal, _"With one mighty slash, Soul Edge shattered Soul Calibur into many pieces and then scattered them around the world with its power. The warriors, from which I managed to count was only eleven left alive, watched in horror as their best chance for victory left them. Ah, but unknown to them, Soul Calibur managed to free me once more. They had no idea what was happening, for next thing they knew, I threw the sword down the steps as the entity inside it appeared. Its face was that of a skeleton, its armor was a shiny silver while its body flared with fire. From my guess, this entity was in all actuality the sword trying to fight back without a human host. You see, the sword must be wield for it to unleash its full power. And when it created that entity, who I shall call Inferno for the flames surrounding its body, and it took the sword in its hands, no longer was the sword unbeatable. With my demonic hand, I used the powers granted to me by the sword and fried the beast with terrifying bolts of lightning."_

The young knight looked at his human right hand, _"One thing I've discovered is that even though the sword is very powerful, it grants its user powers of their own. Cervantes, from what I can tell, regained some of his life force back and can teleport wherever he chooses. He is probably the deadliest opponent I have ever faced. I myself can transform into the demon Nightmare at will without the sword. Except now I have control of my demonic form. Another power it has cursed me with, as it has cursed Cervantes the same power, is resistant to time. In translation for the common idiot, I no longer age. At first I thought only he no longer aged because he became part of the undead. But now I'm fully positive time has stopped for me as well. How do I know? Simple, the sword boasted about its curse it put on me. I guess time is no longer my enemy. Now am I immortal? No. There are some things that even Soul Edge can't perform. Why did Soul Edge curse me with an ageless body? One word, revenge. It knows I resent my demon form and thus, it cursed me to live forever knowing that I refuse to take my own life to make sure no one touches it. Oh yeah, back to the topic. Hmm, let's see, where was I? Ah yes, I managed to defeat Inferno and took the sword back into my hands. I knew that the others wouldn't let me leave with the blade. So I did the next best thing."_

A loud crack of thunder tore through the cave as flashes of light illuminated the entrance, _"I latched the sword to my back and managed to use my hands, or claw and human hand if you want to get technical about it, to combat them. My claw was hard enough to strike against the less sharper swords and blunt weapons, but the sharper swords such as that cocky samurai's katana, the flesh was simply cut. Eventually, after a long tiring battle, I managed to knock each and everyone of them unconscious and escape with the sword. After two years of traveling I discovered this cave that led to a large fissure where I cast the sword down into and sworn to become its guardian. I don't know how long I'll hold out. If things go well, I'll be the guardian for eternity. If somehow, I fall to some mortal seeking the blade. I pray that you read this journal and heed my warning. That sword is a curse. Even though I am free, it still calls me. My life is no longer my own. It is that swords. For I shall spend the rest of my life in this damp cave to ensure it doesn't create another Nightmare."_

As he set the quill pen down and closed the book, his ears picked up the sound of a small rock being kicked. Quickly he jumped to his feet and reached for the large sword that was leaning against the wall, grasping it by the handle, "Who's there! Show yourself human!" He demanded with fury. Out of the shadows, a short blond haired Frenchman appeared before him. With both hands he adjusted his royal purple jacket before drawing his rapier, "Nightmare, I presume?"

"Raphael Sorel, state why you're here. Then I'll decide if it is worth my time to end your pathetic life." The knight growled.

"Your manners are still atrocious. I came for the sword. Where is it?" He asked as he pointed his Flambert in front of him.

"That sword is none of your concern."

"You were too weak for the sword. I, Raphael Sorel, shall take control of that sword."

"Fool, that sword has no master." Nightmare growled as he gripped Requiem with his other hand before taking his stance. Then, his worse fears came to life, Raphael's soul started to flow out of his body and pulse like a heartbeat. The red energy in the pit started to get brighter and brighter, almost as if it were the sun.

"No, you can't be." Nightmare backed up a bit, "You can't be able to control that sword!" In a blind rush, he approached Raphael and brought his sword overhead. Flames erupted around the blade when he brought the sword down in attempt to strike Raphael but found himself striking the Earth instead. "What?!" He was shocked at the speed of the Frenchman. Once he fought the Frenchman, and no way in hell did he have that kind of speed. Next thing he knew, a sharp pain entered his stomach as his world turned black.

"Farewell, Azure Knight. May you enjoy the depths of hell." Raphael smirked as he walked over to the fissure and raised his rapier. The light started to fade as a large crimson zweihander with an eerie eye inside the blade levitated before him. The sword suddenly exploded into many small particles and surrounded the rapier before absorbing into it. "This is it! This is power! This. Is. Soul Edge!" He shouted in victory as the silver armor of Inferno surrounded his body.

Clanking of metal echoed through the cave, and he knew what was making that sound. He turned around to see a weakened Nightmare lifting himself up off the floor and using Requiem as a cane to keep himself upright. "My name is Siegfried Schtauffen. On my father's grave, I shall not let you leave with that sword."

"Brave words for a man as weak as you. Though, I do like the look of your sword. Large, massive, powerful. May lack the grace of a rapier, but it holds the raw power of a killer. Slaying armored knights in one swing." The rapier in Raphael's hand changed to a red hue and transformed into the zweihander form it held when it was in Nightmare's hands. "Let's see which of ours is mightier." With unsurpassed speed, he rushed the weakened Siegfried and struck blades. To his delight, he managed to take a big chip out of Requiem's blade.

"Soul Edge is evil. In your hands, it could bring Earth to a true nightmare. Far greater than what it could do in my hands. Release that sword and throw it in the fissure. It's the only way."

The blond Frenchman exploded with laughter, "What makes you think I want to throw away this sword? I want to give Amy the chance to have a better life. I want to give her the chance to rule the world. No man shall get in my way." Siegfried then leapt back as Raphael slashed at him once more. As he closed his eyes to gather his thoughts, he stabbed his sword into the ground.

"Foolish human. If that is your desire, then so be it. Allow me to show you the greatest Nightmare." As he opened his eyes, his armor transformed to that worn by the infamous demon, Nightmare. His right azure armor then shattered into many pieces as the skin changed colors and harden before growing large and morphing to a demon's claw. The breast plate screeched loudly as part of the transformation ripped through it. It was clear that Nightmare, in many ways, was still around.

"I see, so even though you don't have Soul Edge in your grasp, you still have the powers it granted you? Interesting. Well then, if you are finished, let us dance." Raphael brought his sword in a slicing motion and struck the solid Requiem once more, cutting deeper into the sturdy blade. "Your sword won't last much longer. I suggest you give up or die."

"As powerful as you are, I shall not falter. Prepare yourself, for even the mighty mountain cannot withstand the force of my Earth Divide." Siegfried warned as he raised his sword over his head. Flames erupted around the blade in a spiral motion until it moved to the tip. The sword turned to a dark red as his body started to glow a bright green.

"Earth Divide, a technique invented by King Arthur himself. Passed down to knights who has proven themselves to be as noble and true as knights of old. Your technique combined with the power of Nightmare is indeed powerful, but it is nothing compared to me." Raphael boasted as he raised his sword and swung at the same time so they would clash. Upon contact, bolts of lightning soared from between the two swords as fire exploded around them, scorching everything inside the cave, excluding the two forces that caused it. Before his very eyes, Requiem gave way and shattered into many pieces. The sharp tip of Soul Edge tore through his armor and released a powerful wave of energy that blew the Azure Knight back and into a hard wall.

As Siegfried laid there unconscious, his body turned back to that of a mortal. The armor looked almost like it did before he transformed, if one didn't count the large slash on the right breast that lead down to the abdomen. "Pathetic." With those words spoken, he left the cave with his new sword in hand.

-------------

Hours had before he awoke. His head rung like a bell in a church, aching with each passing second. "Raphael, you idiot." He managed to say as he coughed up blood. Weakly he managed to climb to his feet, 'Damn. Requiem is shattered. I'll need a sword that's even stronger than Requiem. I'll need Faust. Athens, I'm coming back for what I once left behind.'

With his hands to support him against the wall, he managed to grab his journal on the ground and tie its string to his belt before he left the cave. Once out, his eyes trailed the rocky plain for his father's horse. To his surprise, he was still there. A powerful black stallion, "Hello old friend. It's time for me and you to embark on a quest again. Except, things will be different this time." The horse blew a gust of air through its nose as he saddled onto it, "First stop is Heirch. We need to get a few things before we set out." He gave the reigns a quick snap to get the horse to gallop full speed.

In less than an hour, he was in a small town. From the reaction of the commoners, it was clear that knight's were uncommon. Or at least, knights wearing as finely crafted field plate with a huge gash running down the breastplate. He brought his horse to a small trot as his eyes glanced at the signs in front of the buildings. Minutes later, he managed to find what he was looking for. A blacksmith's shop. As he dismounted off of his horse, he tied the reigns to the poll and approached the door. A loud rumbling came from inside the shop as a man yelled out, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please forgive me!"

Instantly he flung the door open and entered the shop, his eyes staring at the surroundings. Three armored men, probably knights, had the shop owner on the floor and against the wall. Blood was dripping down his nose and from his lips. "Shop's closed." The large man in armor said as he ran a finger along his axe's blade.

"What's going on in here!" Siegfried ordered.

"This man refuses to give us a discount. We're knights who sworn to protect these lands, therefore we deserve a discount for our service. Is there a problem with that?" The smaller more rough looking of the two men answered.

"You three, leave immediately. If you value your safety."

The rough looking small man laughed, "You barge in here unarmed and expect to give us orders? I don't think so. Rudy, Jet, let's teach this bozo a lesson about respect." The small man drew his sword and slowly approached. The one eyed man to his right gripped his spear and dashed forward. In one quick motion, Siegfried strafed to the side and caught to spear in his hands. With a powerful kick, he sent the man flying as he yanked the spear out of his hands and spun it around.

"Since I'm defenseless, you two should have no trouble disposing me. Now come at me if you dare. Though I warn you, there's no dirt to soften your fall." The man with the axe rushed him like a bull, and to his amazement, Siegfried moved to the side and caught him in the back with the shaft of the spear. As the small man tried to come up from behind and made a thrust with his sword, Siegfried turned around and parried the sword with his gauntlet before slicing off the leather strap holding the smaller man's left pauldron on. As it fell to the floor, he stabbed the spear into the ground to help propel himself forward and caught the small man in a powerful kick that sent him crashing through the wooden wall.

"Yarg! You shall die puny man!" A deep voice came from behind him. As he turned around, he ducked a large axe's blade and countered with a right hook, catching the titan in the jaw and sending him through the window.

"Idiots." He turned toward the shop owner, "You okay?" He asked calmly as he helped him to his feet.

"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you very much for your kindness. Those brutes were trying to get new armor without paying for them."

"Oh, well, I came here for some supplies. I don't have much so your cheapest sword will do."

The shop owner looked at him a bit puzzled, "Sir, after you helped me. You deserve more than my cheapest sword."

Placing a hard gauntlet on the back of his head, he looked at the weapon rack, "Well, to tell you the truth, I'm on my way to retrieve my old sword so it can help me on my quest. I'm just looking for something that'll protect me until then."

"I see." The old shop owner said as he walked over to the weapon rack, "That still doesn't change the fact that you deserve something more than a cheap sword. Here, this sword shall do nicely. Its our best sword and should do well in protecting you until you reach your destination. You do know how to use a long sword, right?" The old man smiled as he pulled off a finely crafted blade off of the wall. It's guard was gold while the grip was leather dyed black. The blade was approximately four feet long with an exotic design on the blade near the guard.

"This here I crafted three years ago. This is nothing compared to Borin Seshmere's work, but it is the finest sword you'll come across for miles." With his other scrawny hand, he pulled out a green scabbard, "This scabbard is purified steal; the material surrounding it is silk imported from China. Expensive, but I'll let you have it for free. Now, would you prefer a sword belt for the waist, or a girdle so you can throw it over your shoulder?" "I'll take the belt. The sword I'm searching for is a zweihander."

"Ah, zweihander's are rare and very powerful if made properly. Well, until you get your zweihander, this will have to do. Perhaps you need anything else? I do have connections."

"All I need is a cloak to protect me from the weather."

The old man thought for a bit, "You truly are selfless. Are you sure? I could arrange a stay for you at the inn, or a new set of armor. Gothic armor is superior to that of field plate."

"I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to pass on that offer."

"I see, well, let's see what we can do. I'd also like to pay you for your service. You said you didn't have much money. On a journey, I'm sure you'll need places to stay. How about one hundred gold?"

"That's really not necessary."

"It is. Rarely ever is there a knight in these parts who look after us commoners."

"The knights here are corrupted?"

"Aye, Lord Dyterious is a most vile man. His knights don't follow the code of Chivalry. Instead, they follow his own code and enforce his ruthless laws."

"Hmm, where is this lord of yours?" Siegfried pondered.

"Currently he's in Athens. Rumor has it that a powerful sword lies there. Waiting for a man worthy enough to draw it."

"This sword, what do they say about it?"

"Rumor says that it was left almost seven years ago. It was the only zweihander created by Borin Seshmere and was used by the infamous Nightmare. They say, that before he went berserk, he stabbed the sword into a pedestal and told the priest that he used that sword to defeat the man who first wield Soul Edge. He then put a barrier around the sword so that only a pure hearted man can attempt to pull it out. Supposable he knew he was going to go berserk so the sword was to ensure that someone strong enough would arise and defeat him. Ha, I wish I was there in Athens to watch Lord Dyterious attempt to grab that sword. It would serve that fool well to be thrown back by the blade." Siegfried looked at him a bit puzzled. Had his old sword really became that of the legends? He had put it there originally so when he managed to break free of Soul Edge, he would have a weapon capable of defeating it. Though, he did remember how badly damaged Faust was after the battle.

-------------

After half an hour of talking with the shop owner, he left with his new sword and cloak. It was an old brown cloak, but it would serve him well. He untied the horse and mounted onto the saddle. "Come on Valderon. We have a long way before we reach Athens." The left the city and started down the country side in a fast gallop. The wind blew in his long hair, the sun warmed his face, and the cool breeze reminded him where he was. "Soul Edge, this time I shall destroy you if it's the last thing I do." He vowed.


	2. Talking With The Undead

**Chapter 2: Talking With The Undead**

His black horse carefully trotted through the forest. The green eyes of the young knight carefully examined his fearsome surroundings. Webs left by spiders were everywhere, bones decorated the ground and the trees were dead from what seemed to be caused by the lack of nutrition. Though, something in the air screamed out that something here wasn't of the mortal world.

Next thing he knew, his horse started to buck and screech out a warning. "It's ok boy." He attempted to calm the horse down by patting its side. "There's nothing to fear." His eyes caught sight of a small dirt road. "Strange, since when did a road go through the forest?" "

Help!" He heard a woman's voice cry out.

"Valderon!" He gave the reigns a snap to speed up his horse. As they made their way down the old dirt road, they came upon a caravan being attacked by strange demons. From his guess, Goblins. Out of all the creatures Soul Edge has managed to create in the past, these were probably the weakest. Though, their ruthlessness and cunning made them a very serious threat. As he approached the Goblins, he leapt off of his horse and tackled one in mid air. Landing hard on the dirt, he rolled a bit before springing back to his feet as four others surrounded him.

"Come and feel my steel as it finds your black hearts!" He drew his sword and clashed metal blade to stone axe with the first one. Instantly he raised his left arm to defend himself from another axe. With his unsurpassed might, he pushed the two Goblins back and strafed to the side as another attempted to stab him with its spear. Taking the initiative, he charged pass the shaft of the spear and severed the Goblin's head from its shoulders.

"Retreat!" A Goblin shouted out as they scurried away from danger.

One thing he liked about Goblins was that they always judged their opponent's strength. So when they figured that they'll lose, they run away. "Is everyone ok?" He asked as he looked at the driver of the caravan. Dead. "Damn." He then looked inside, there he saw a woman wearing a pink dress decorated in finely crafted gems. Most likely a noble.

"Thank you kind sir." She was shaking with fear. "Those brutes were demanding my valuables and killed the driver."

"You're lucky. Most of the time they just go ahead and kill everyone before taking whatever they want." He answered, a bit skeptical about the whole thing. Many times he had fought goblins, and never had he heard of one that demanded valuables when he could have just killed the person and took the jewelry himself with little effort.

"I am the Duchess of Nerrane, Kynour Niheart." She informed as she stepped out of the caravan, "I am on my way to Noel."

"I'm sorry, I haven't heard of either of those places. Then again, I sort of been away in the past few years." He answered, somewhat speaking the truth.

"May I ask my rescuers name?"

"Siegfried, Siegfried Schtauffen."

"Your name is German, yet here you speak English."

"In my travels, I have learned many languages. Though much of my country speaks German, my family first taught me English since they have had many dealings with the English people. To top things off, several of my relatives live in England."

"Interesting. Perhaps you will accompany me to Nerrane?" She asked as a gleam appeared in her eyes.

"My quest takes me elsewhere. I shall only accompany you to the next city."

"A gentleman would make sure I arrive to where I was going."

"A gentleman I am not. If I were you, I'd be happy that I am escorting you to the next city, much less rescued your caravan from attack." He then helped her onto his horse and started to lead them down the dirt road. How he hated helping others, mostly because he didn't want them to see the monster he became. Half of the time, he'd only help someone if it was on his way. Hence, the shop keeper he saved yesterday. Though, he did hate seeing the weak pushed around.

Hours had passed as they continued to walk untroubled but were very alert about their surroundings. 'Something's not right here. I'm sure we've passed that old burned down tree several times already.' His eyes stared at the tree and then the road ahead. The sixth sense he had developed over his years of fighting and traveling kicked in, warning him of impending danger. With one swift motion, shwing, his sword was unsheathed and moved into a defensive position.

"What's going on?" The duchess asked a bit worried. She gripped the horse's mane tighter as she bit her lip.

"We're going in circles. But I'm positive that we've been going straight this whole time. I may not be a woodsman, but I do know how to navigate."

"How could we be going straight if we keep going in circles?"

He looked at her a bit confused. He thought the answer was obvious, but she seriously had no clue. She's definitely a noble. And judging from her questioned, a pampered noble who didn't do much traveling. "Magic." Was all he said. It was all he needed to say anyways. That simple word would describe their situation far better than any sentence or paragraph. "I've always heard of a powerful demon who lived in these woods, but I never believed the stories. No, most demons rely on their powers, not magic. It must be the work of a wizard." 'Damn it all to hell. I could break the spell but I'd need to be in my demon form. There's no need to reveal my demon side and have her tell everyone. Looks like we're going to have to wait until whatever created this illusion shows up.'

His spine tingled with a deathly chill as a thick fog started to cover his surroundings. From his guess, the demon was about to strike. "Be careful, the beast is near." He warned as he neared his horse. To his horror, the horse was gone; so was the duchess and any trace left of her. "Whatever's out there, show yourself! Unless you're a coward." His strong voice carried throughout the deathly sick woods.

A loud cat's roar was heard as a large cat leapt on top of him, claws open and poised for attack. Quickly he flung the creature off and into a tree. The fog had to be playing tricks on him, for that wasn't a cat. What lied before him was a cat who walked upright like a human. As the cat jumped at him again, he batted it away with his sword. "Your thirst for blood will come to an end!" The cat jumped at him again. A smirk appeared on his face as the cat slashed through his breastplate and left its body open. With a quick thrust, the beast stood emotionless on his blade with one of its claws touching his armor.

A loud sinister laugh echoed all around him, most likely from that of a woman. "I see you possess some skill under that pretty boy look of yours. Doesn't matter. Just like your horse, your very life force will become my next meal."

"You slaughtered my horse? Demon, pray I don't find you." He warned as the duchess appeared in front of him.

"It's too late." The duchess looked at him with a strange smile on her lips. A smile that could paralyze the weak and frighten the brave. Black demon wings sprouted from her back as her nails grew longer and changed to a dark black. Her hair switched from blonde to black as with her lipstick. Her dress changed to that of a black armor. "Siegfried, your time has come. I shall devour your soul!" She pointed a hand at him as bolts of lightning appeared and knocked him back into a tree.

He weakly got to his feet, while at the same time a terrible pain burned from within in his gut where he was stabbed a the other day, with one hand he managed to cover the wound as he stared at the demon. His armor was tattered from the previous battle with Raphael, so he didn't know how much longer it would protect him, but that wouldn't stop him from completing his mission. Closing his eyes, he sheathed his sword and smiled. "Giving up without a fight?" The demon looked at him a bit confused. "Just relaxing and clearing my mind." He replied as his eyes opened as he drew his sword once again.

"Mortal, it does not matter how many times you clear your mind. You simply cannot defeat a being of greater power." She raised her hand at him again. He charged the beast with his sword raised for attack. As the bolts of lightning exploded toward him, he jumped to the side losing very little speed and leapt at the creature when her guard was down and impaled her in the stomach. With its mighty claws, she punched him away and onto the ground. To her delight, he flipped up to his feet even though he was in heavy armor and already weaken from wounds he received before he entered the woods. "So my master was correct about you after all. You are mortal, yet you possess the strength not of a mortal."

"Master? Who's your master woman!" He raised his voice, indicating that he was determined to find out who this master was. A strange familiar laugh echoed from the forest, from the sound of it, he was surrounded. Yet, how could one laugh surround him? What little light there was in the forest reflected off of a shiny surface as it flew toward him at blinding speeds. Quickly, he moved out of the way of the sword and watch it stab into a tree. "Lethe? Damn, not you." He growled under his breathe.

The familiar sound of fire disbursing into clouds of smoke entered his ears from behind, instantly he turned around to block the other Lethe as it swung down upon him. The sword dug into his own, threatening to shatter it under anymore pressure. "Cervantes."

"Nightmare." The undead pirate looked at him with amusement. Siegfried quickly raised his arm to grapple the arm he was in contest with and swung his sword to block the other. Like it were glass, shards of metal erupted from the sword as Lethe broke through it and caught him in the chest. Following through, he brought his other sword in a thrust at the knight.

"I won't lose to you!" Siegfried shouted out as he moved his shoulder a bit to allow Lethe to deflect off of the pauldron before ripping into it a bit and jammed his broken sword into Cervantes's gut. But the pirate seemed unfazed from the sword.

"Impressive. Your fighting skills are as deadly as ever, if not, even more so. No longer are you using your own style, but the styles learned by Soul Edge. Alas my lad, you have no hope. Your demonic powers have decreased, no longer are you as deadly as you were so long ago." Cervantes, with a smirk on his face, dropped the twin swords onto the ground and pointed his hands at Siegfried's chest. "Without your powers, you have no hope against me."

"Enough talk. Now die!" Siegfried roared as he armor and body turned to that of Nightmare's. He dropped the sword and attempted to punch Cervantes with his claw, but to his surprise, the pirate teleported to his side and kicked him in the gut, though it didn't do as much harm as it would've done if he were unarmored. He quickly turned around, bringing his claw in a backhand and only struck air. The pirate had teleported again. "Cervantes!" he shouted in anger as he punched the ground below him. The earth at his feet collapsed into a small crater as a shockwave shot out and blasted all that stood within its wake.

"Can't dodge if I attack everywhere." As the cloud of dirt subsided, the pirate stood before him with both swords in his hands in an x position. "What? How, how could you have blocked it? There's no way!" He shook his head in disbelief.

"You may have your demonic strength, but your powers have decreased back to what they were five years ago when you first broke free of Soul Edge. It seems to me that without Soul Edge amplifying your powers, your nothing more than a weak demon." Siegfried quickly scooped up his broken sword in his human hand and faced the undead pirate. Cervantes continued his theory, "I've been wondering why you were able to break free of Soul Edge on your own two years ago. If my haunch is correct, then perhaps Soul Edge and Soul Calibur have some sort of link to one another. True they are of opposite polarities, but for some reason, Soul Calibur's power influenced your body and fused with Soul Edge's power. Thus, you were given enough power to break free of Soul Edge's grasp and walk out of the battle alive without having to rely on a weapon."

"Even if Soul Calibur and Soul Edge were able to combine their powers? What does it have to do with me?" Siegfried eyed the pirate as he gripped his sword tightly.

"You? Don't kid yourself. You're of no importance. You just happened to be the first subject I've ever seen this happen too. The good in Soul Calibur and the evil in Soul Edge canceled one another and combined their powers to create a monster of untold abilities." The pirate levitated in the air as if he were sitting on a chair and put his hand on his chin as he entered though, only he spoke what he was thinking out loud, "Then perhaps there's more to Soul Edge and Soul Calibur than meets the eye. Perhaps the two sides of the same coin could come together once again. A sword greater than Soul Calibur and Soul Edge? A sword of neutral alignment, unequal in power. With this sword, I could bring this planet into an era of darkness."

"Quit rambling you damn pirate!" Siegfried jumped at Cervantes with energy forming into his claw, "My powers may be weak. But at least they're enough to kill you!" He lashed out his claw, finding that he only struck a tree.

"Pathetic. Your claw ran deep into a tree, but that's all. Unless you're going into the carving business," Cervantes smirked as he stood beside Siegfried and rubbed a hand over the two deep claw marks, "Then swinging your claw is pointless."

Nightmare grabbed the pirate with his claw and raised him into the air before slamming him into the tree. "Feel my wrath." His voice grew cold, or colder than what it was, as electricity started to move through his claw. Immediately, bolts jumped from it and into Cervantes' body.

"Is that all you got?" Cervantes stabbed Lethe into Nightmare's claw, causing the demon to release the undead pirate and back away in pain. "You're pathetic. Killing you now wouldn't be as pleasurable as it would've been so long ago. So I'll spare your life. Let you suffer under Soul Edge's watchful mind and torture your soul. Next time we meet, you won't be so lucky." The pirate walked over to the duchess.

"Till we meet again, Siegfried Schtauffen." Kynour blew him a kiss as she and Cervantes both disappeared.

"Damn you Cervantes. Damn you and that cursed woman to HELL!" He shouted into the canopy as the sound of thunder echoed all around. His body turned back to normal, along with his armor, he sat down and dropped his sword. With ease, he took off his gauntlet and dropped it onto the ground. His eyes peered at the wound in his hand that went through, "Cervantes."


	3. The Unwanted Knight

**Chapter 3: The Unwanted Knight**

The young Azure Knight stood on a large hill as the rain pounded his battered body violently. His eyes moved through the land below until he came upon a city he recognized. A city known around the word, Athens. The way it was design could only be described with one word, beautiful. On the other side of the city was that of a small army of knights. Clearly they were that of the villain he was searching for. "Dyterious." He smiled with delight, his little side quest to confront this vile lord was about to come to a close and he personally couldn't wait. Unknown to him, two warriors he faced two years ago on that fateful night live in Athens.

------------------

Cautiously, the cloaked Siegfried pushed through the rainy night, staying by the shadows and poking his head around the corners before he moved from one street to another. He wanted to make sure anyone with the ability to sense demons would notice him. Step after step, puddle after puddle, he finally made his to a large temple. Two paladins, or knights of the church, were guarding the main entrance. Paladins were exceptionally devoted to the cause of their god and the good of the people. Some even possessed spiritual powers, something he didn't want to fight in his current condition. His wounds weren't the reason why, for they have healed enough for him to do strenuous fighting. It was his armor, or lack of.

He walked towards the door, looking at them with the shadows of his hood covering his eyes, making sure that neither of them made an advancement on him. To his delight, both greeted him as he walked by and opened the door. He was lucky churches offered shelter to many travelers, or he'd be looking down the tip of a spear. "Siegfried." A familiar voice called him from his right.

He turned his head to see an elderly man in a long white robe, "Father Prometheus."

"My child, remove thy hood." Ordered the priest. Siegfried did as he asked and turned toward the father as he opened his cloak to reveal his body underneath. "Has thy soul been freed of that tainted sword?"

"Yes and no my father." Siegfried knelt before the man and took his hand and lowered his head onto it to show respect, "I may no longer possess the sword, but my mind and soul are still connected to it. Every time I transform into the demon Nightmare, I can hear it in my mind. When I sleep at night, I have nightmares created by that sword and receive messages taunting my powerless state."

"Stand up child. Now tell me, why are you here?" The priest ordered.

"I have come to retrieve the sword I left behind seven years ago." Siegfried answered truthfully.

"The sword is still in the pedestal. I have conjured a barrier around it so only the pure may touch it yet no man, other than yourself, can pull it. You would be interested to know that your sword has became that of the legends because of this." The priest and Siegfried started to walk slowly down the marble hallway.

"Faust is a mortal sword with no powers. Even if it did possess some powers, it is a sword belonging to a demon. A demon who's heart is tainted with the sin of evil."

"Nay, your heart is not tainted with the sin of evil. You were merely controlled by a sword. You had no control over the actions your body undertook as a puppet does during a play. Your past isn't the purest, but your heart is. For even the purest of us fall into sin." The priest shook his head and let out a small sigh, "Good and evil is topic you seem confused about. You consider yourself evil, yet in my eyes or in the eyes of god, you are not."

"Father?" Siegfried was bewildered at the words spoken by the wise priest.

"There is only one truth between good and evil. Both are sinners. Do you know the difference between good and evil?" The priest looked at him as Siegfried entered a deep thought.

After a couple of minutes of thinking, he spoke up what he believed to be the correct answer, "The good are willing to protect others. The good are fair, and kind."

"Your answer is what many believe, but it is wrong. Bandits have been known to take care of one another. The darkest of knights will duel fairly if they value honor in combat. A powerful warlord may be ruthless to his enemies and captives, but he treats his army and people with the utmost care."

"Then what is good if it isn't action? Faith?"

"No child. A Christian can slay a family and still believe in god. While one who worships the devil can save a man's daughter from certain doom. Faith isn't the answer. Faith can only help guide us. Goodness involves helping others, but what separates it from evil is the ability to recognize our mistakes that bring harm to others and attempt to correct it. Many either avoid repeating the mistake, confess their sins, or by redeeming themselves through another act that leads to helping someone. A child hits another boy for talking to his sister in belief that the other boy was attempting to swoon her over. After his sister explains that he wasn't, the child is at fault for hitting the other even though he was only looking after his sister's well-being. He then goes up to the boy and apologizes and offer to play with him."

"Father, even if what you are saying is true, I am still tainted. I have committed so many crimes. Took so many lives. I can never cross back into the light, I can only push back the darkness." Siegfried looked away from the father.

"Don't be so hard on yourself. Your past isn't the most wonderful, but ensuring that it is never repeated is a great feat of goodness." The priest was amused on how the young knight was reacting. They entered a large marble room, from the looks of it, it was for praying. Down the aisle of benches, up a small flight of stairs, Faust rested in a large pedestal. The blade was cracked all over, yet it was most likely the sturdiest sword in the country. Behind the blade was a large statue, he was sure it was that of a Greek god. Though, he didn't study in Greek Mythology so he couldn't say which god it was. Ares was his best guess. Or maybe Zeus. Who knows? Who cares? He sure as hell didn't.

He noticed that there was only one person in the room. A girl. Short blond hair, white tunic and skirt with a jagged hem. Long tan stockings. White boots and long white gloves that went pass her elbows. She was praying to the statue, or at least to the god the statue represented. She stood up and turned around and walked passed the sword. Gracefully she stepped down the steps and approached the priest, "Hello Father."

"Cassandra, my dear. I thought you were going to be at your sister's today."

"I am Father. I'm on my way over there right now."

"Good child. I'll be stopping by there with a friend. Can you ask Rothion if he is willing to repair a sword for me?" The father looked at Siegfried, "And I suppose some armor as well." Siegfried mentally groaned. His armor did need to be repair, but he didn't have the time too repair it. Hell, the sword would take a whole day and it's simpler than any type of armor he could think of!

"I'm sure he'll be more than willing to help you Father. May I ask if this is the man who's armor is being repaired?" Cassandra asked a bit confused. She then looked at the man's face. Her eyes widen in surprise, for she had recognized the man from a previous battle when he wasn't wearing his helmet and wielded a most evil sword.

"I don't need my armor repaired." Siegfried answered for the priest, his tone was cold, obviously he didn't want to associate if he didn't have to, "Just my sword."

"Cassandra, can you please leave us? We have some pressing matters to attend too." Father Prometheus led her out the room with a hand.

"Yes Father. Good day." She said, her voice stuttered a bit as she glanced at Siegfried once more. She wasn't sure what his goals were, but she was going to find out. She didn't trust him at all.

Closing the door behind him, the priest, with Siegfried at his side, walked over to the sword and up the stairs. "Now claim thy sword." He instructed. Without hesitation, Siegfried stepped up to the pedestal and ripped it out in once clean motion. "Now that you have a sword forged by Borin Seshmere, are you certain you are capable of defeating Soul Edge?"

"No, I cannot defeat Soul Edge in its current state of power. I'll need Soul Calibur. Faust is the only sword I can trust to aid me in my quest to retrieve the fragments of the sword I broke two years ago. But I fear even with it, I'll still fall in battle before I manage to strike the finishing blow." Siegfried looked at his sword, cracked all over with half of the blade missing. The same as it was seven years ago when he first used it to fight Soul Edge when it possessed Cervantes.

"Even though you'll most likely die on this quest, you still choose to accept it? You are the same as you were when you stopped by here five years ago to check on your sword. How I recall myself trying to convince you to drop Soul Edge and walk away. Alas, you refused to listen to me and kept the sword. Told me that you mustn't let the sword fall into another's hands and let their life be used by the sword as yours has. I won't try to stop you, but I want to let you know child. You have made me very proud. I am honored to have met you. For so long have you taken the burden of protecting mankind from that sword, even when you were powerless against it, and never once have you looked back. I wish you hadn't came across that sword. No doubt you would've carved your name into the face of history with many heroic deeds."

The fathered walked up to the pedestal and leaned down. His wrinkled hand moved toward its base and pushed a concealed switch. The pedestal moved out of the way to reveal a storage department. Reaching inside, the priest pulled out an orange blanket. "You sword's other half I kept safe. I knew you'd return someday. Let's take these halves to Rothion. He'll be able to repair your sword. He was, after all, Borin Seshmere's apprentice."

-------------

"You will be able to repair the sword?" Father Prometheus asked as he, Siegfried, Rothion, and Sophitia stood in Rothion's forgery.

"Hmm, its cracked, broken in half, and still has a sharp edge. Definitely made by Master Seshmere. I can have it repaired before noon tomorrow. Basic welding is easier than what most people think Your armor is a different matter though. I say in about four days it'll be repaired. Need to knock out some dents, a little welding and…"

"As tempting as it is, I don't need you to repair my armor." Siegfried cut him off, "I would like to leave as quickly as possible. The longer I stay, the worse the situation becomes."

"Well, I guess I need to get to work then." Rothion pushed them all out of his forgery.

"He doesn't like to be disturbed when he's working." Sophitia apologized for her husband. "You have no where to stay, do you sir knight?" She looked at Siegfried.

"Don't trouble yourself." He told her.

"I'll say. This man is no knight!" They all heard a woman's voice. Out of nowhere, Cassandra tackled Siegfried to the ground and pointed her Omega Sword at his throat. "Nightmare, how dare you show your face in Athens."

"Cassandra, what is the meaning of this!" Father Prometheus and Sophitia said in unison.

"This man is a demon sis. I'll never forget his face."

"If you are going to end my life, I suggest you do it quick. If not, then get off!" Siegfried growled. Next thing he knew, Sophitia ripped Cassandra off of him.

"What are you talking about?" Sophitia screamed at her sister, "He's not Nightmare! Nightmare has a deformed arm. Does his arm look deformed to you? And if he was Nightmare, he'd be going around killing everyone."

Siegfried and the priest looked at each other and then at the two ladies. "I'm afraid your sister is right." Siegfried begun. "I am Nightmare. Even so, I have no desire to harm anyone."

"You liar!" Cassandra yelled at the top of her lungs as she charged Siegfried with her sword raised to attack. Quickly he drew his broken sword and blocked Cassandra's sharp short sword. Using her agility to an advantage, she ducked, causing Siegfried to stumble forward, and rose up with her shield catching him in the jaw. He stumbled back before regaining his senses and took up a defensive stance.

"I order you two to stop!" The priest got in between the two. "Now lower your weapons!" Cassandra sheathed her sword hesitantly while the blond knight did the same. "Siegfried, you are to stay at the church tonight. Cassandra, go home and think about what you did. Attacking a man who had no desire to harm anyone. Have you no shame?"

"You're going to fall for that routine? He's waiting for us to go to sleep before killing us. That fowl beast should be driven away from our city!"

"Cassandra!" The priest shouted. "He is our guest, we shall treat him with respect."

"Respect my ass. I'm sorry Father, but this demon is deceiving you."

"I have a feeling I'm not wanted here. I'll meet you back at the church Father." Siegfried walked away as he pulled his hood over his head.


	4. Into Another World

**Chapter 4: Into Another World**

A/N: Btw, I forgot to mention but I love reviews. Ideas on chapters (like little mini-adventures or such), what a you thought about it (no flames please) or just saying hello. Don't matter.

Siegfried stood outside of Rothion's forgery. It was noon and his sword was almost ready. The priest was beside him, as Cassandra and Sophitia were facing them. Sophitia trusted the priest in his judgment, but not Cassandra. She had her sword at her side and her shield tossed across her back. "Where are you going next?" The priest asked.

"Dyterious's camp. Let's just say I want a few words with him over something that's been bugging me lately." Siegfried spoke up, never taking his eyes off of Cassandra for fear that she may strike.

"I see. Dyterious is a ruthless man, take heed and be careful when dealing with that man."

Siegfried pulled the sword's scabbard out of the notch in the sword belt and handed it to the priest, "Father, this sword belonged to an old blacksmith. He gave it to me to aid me in retrieving Faust. It is his masterpiece."

"You are requesting that I look after his sword?"

"Yes Father."

The old priest reached over and took the scabbard with his scrawny wrinkled hands, "I will be honored to take this sword. I'll have Rothion repair it and present it to our noblest warrior."

"Thank you Father." Siegfried let out a sigh as he heard the door behind him open. He turned to see Rothion carrying Faust in his hands, it seemed like the blacksmith was struggling to carry it, which he understood. Faust was a heavy sword.

"Ok, one zweihander for the knight." Rothion handed it to Siegfried. All were awed as the knight spun it around a bit, flipping it from hand to hand like it was nothing more than a paper weight. "That sword is amazing. I thought only the samurai of the east held weapons of such sharpness."

"Now that I have my sword, I shall be on my way." Taking his sword and flipping it onto his back, where it magically latched to his breastplate's backplate through the cloak, he started to walk toward the boundaries of the city limit.

"Nightmare, I'm coming with you." Cassandra spoke up as she ran over toward him.

"You can't be serious. Cassandra, you're not going with him." Sophitia went into the protective mother mode that she often took with her children.

He looked at her a bit confused, the look in her eyes told him that she was serious. He's dealt with her type before. Stubborn, hardheaded, and never backed down when they put their minds to something. Knowing that he wouldn't be able to sway her in her decision, he let out a sigh of defeat, "Fine, but I am not babysitting you. We are not friends, buddies, or whatever you want to call it; As far as I'm concern, you are an annoying girl following me for who knows what."

"Cassandra, don't go." Sophitia pleaded.

"I'm sorry sis, but I don't trust him. I want to keep my eye on him for a bit just in case he tries something." She glared at Siegfried.

"Oh yes, watch over me. For if you don't, I may kill someone's pig and eat it raw. If that were to happen, surely we all would be doomed." He said sarcastically.

"I'd watch it demon." She snarled at him.

"I can see this isn't going to be a boring adventure after all. Come, the longer we stay still, the more I have to hear your voice." He started to walk away again.

"What was that!" She ran after him.

The priest walked over to Sophitia, "Siegfried has his work cut out for him."

This of course, made Sophitia giggle. "Why are you not joining them? Your skill is great compared to your younger sister. Besides, I'm sure you and Siegfried would get along."

"I know, but unfortunately my place is here, with my children, at least until I am needed once again."

"So you are going to trust in that knight? Child, why the change?"

"Because he seems different than before. His eyes are still cold and fierce, but there's something about him that's different. I don't know what it is, but I have a feeling I can trust him." Sophitia explained.

"Child, that is because he is free of Soul Edge. He is trustworthy. But I fear not for his body, but for his mind. He doesn't trust others very well. His eyes are cold and fierce when in battle or confronted by those he doesn't know or trust, yet when he's with me, his eyes show sorrow, pain. The man you see before you is a guise that conceals a kind, gentle person inside. Your sister holds a grudge against him for actions that were not his choice. I'm afraid that she'll cause him prolong suffering when he's already suffered enough." The priest shook his head, "Tonight, let's give our prayers to those two. Their journey is going to be long and difficult. And unknown to your sister, he isn't planning on surviving it either."

This sent a signal to Sophitia. Could her sister really be joining a one way journey to death's door? "I will father. May the gods watch over my sister and her companion."

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"What's the meaning of this?" Siegfried growled as he flipped Faust over his shoulders and into his hands. He and Cassandra had arrived at Dyterious's camp and all that could be seen was nothing but corpses. A loud noise was heard not to far off. It was a man screaming in pain backed by the sound of metal being struck. "There." He pointed out. The two ran passed several tents and turned to find Lord Dyterious, or from Siegfried's guess to be Dyterious for the gold crown he wore on his head, being held by Raphael as his rapier plunged into his chest. "Raphael."

"Heh, the last piece of Soul Calibur" The short haired Frenchman dropped Lord Dyterious and faced Siegfried and Cassandra, tucking a blue fragment of Soul Calibur into his belt pouch, a smile crept on his lips as Flambert transformed into the zweihander of Soul Edge, "Siegfried, I wasn't expecting to see you here."

"Cut the chitchat Raphael. Drop the sword now." Siegfried ordered.

"I'm sorry but I cannot. For you see, if I were to let Soul Edge escape from my grasp, then how else am I to rid this world of evil and corruption?"

Siegfried looked at him, transforming and taking a stance for he didn't like where the situation was going. Then, Raphael continued as he ran a hand through his hair, "Our world is plagued with war, murderers, and power hungry tyrants. I'm going to rid the world of them all."

"How would you be able to do something like that?" Cassandra asked as she readied her sword and shield.

"How else? Destroy all who oppose me and become the ruler of it all. A world under one ruler, no war. Enforce strict laws, no murder. Strip all power from those who hold it, no more power hungry tyrants. I will be the supreme ruler. It is the only way to save humanity."

"Who are you to decide the fate of others? What you say is nothing but an idea. Your intents are noble, but what about the consequences? Thousands will lose their lives because you're not happy with the world." Siegfried said displeased with Raphael's motive.

"A price I'm willing to pay." Raphael smirked. "And to make sure no one is able to stop me, I took the liberty to gather the fragments of Soul Calibur." He held out a hand as the five fragments of Soul Calibur appeared, levitating a few inches from his palm. "I have a question for you. Do you know where Soul Edge and Soul Calibur come from?"

"What kind of question is that?" Siegfried snapped.

"Did you know that we're not in the center of the universe? Many galaxies exist, each with planets of their own. Rarely ever, one of these planets will meet all the conditions necessary for life. Much like our planet has. One such planet in the universe that is similar to ours is of unfathomable distance. Beyond the sky, stars and deep into the heavens. This planet is where Soul Edge and Soul Calibur were born from. But, if that is the case, how is it that Soul Edge and Soul Calibur were able to find their way to our planet? Simply by creating a bridge between the two worlds. Now, all that is left is to open the gate." Raphael smirked as he swung Soul Edge. To his delight, bolts of lightning started to rocket out of thin air. From the source of the bolts of lightning, a strange blue portal appeared. Threatening to suck everything in its path.

Siegfried, not able to withstand the gravitational pull, stabbed Faust into the ground to brace himself. Unfortunately, Cassandra wasn't as lucky. For she flew into the portal before Siegfried could grab onto her. "Cassandra!"

"What's wrong? Is the gate too powerful for you to handle?" Raphael tossed the fragments into portal and smirked. "Just like the girl, Soul Calibur will never be able to return. And now you, Siegfried, have lost your only chance in defeating me."

Siegfried pulled his sword out of the ground as the portal started to close, "That may be, but I will not allow you to destroy this world." He grabbed Raphael and threw him into the portal, believing that he won until Raphael's hand grabbed his own and pulled him in as well.

"You fool! What have you done?" Raphael swung Soul Edge and clashed swords with Siegfried.

"That sword is evil. Any desires you have, that sword will turn into a twisted nightmare."

"You lie!"

"Don't be an idiot. Why do you think I imprisoned the sword in the first place?" Siegfried growled as he tried to push Raphael back, but neither of them were moving anywhere except forward. A bright light appeared and started to grow bigger and bigger, until it suddenly consumed them. Next thing they knew, they were falling down. Both men landed on their feet with their weapons ready for combat. Cassandra was a couple yards away from them, and a bit confused on what just happened.

"I was hoping you'd at least understand my reason. But I see that we don't see eye to eye." Raphael changed his zweihander back to Flambert and sheathed the rapier. He raised a hand as the fragments of Soul Calibur levitated off of the ground. "And since you're so determined to get these, then let see you take…" Before he could finish the sentence, Cassandra charged him and performed a somersault ending with her kicking Raphael down. As the shards started to fall, she dropped her sword and attempted to grab them. On touch, the shards dematerialized in a blinding light.

"What?!" Siegfried and Raphael both said in unison as nothing was left of the sword except Cassandra landing face first into the grass. "What just happened?" Siegfried yelled out in anger.

"It seems Soul Calibur has somehow managed to elude me without a master." Raphael ran a finger through his hair. He then drew Flambert and stabbed the rapier into the ground, "Until our paths cross again, cursed knight." Smoke exploded from the ground, blanketing the surrounding area for a few seconds before dissipating.

"Dammit!" He shouted in anger as his armor and arm returned back to normal. Looking around, he saw a dirt road and started to walk down it. "You coming?" He asked without stopping or looking back. The sound of softer footsteps marching with a different pattern than his own entered his ears. He knew she was following, mostly because he was her best chance of returning home. He was searching for Soul Calibur, so why not her as well? It was their only way to cross worlds after all.


	5. Restless Night

**Chapter 5: Restless Night**

After hours of walking, the two had sat down to rest their tired legs. Or at least Cassandra, did. Siegfried leaned against a tree and folded his arms across his chest. He wasn't tired, sore or anything similar to the two. She hated on how he wore heavy armor and carried around a large sword and didn't even get tired, or at least start feeling sore from carrying all of that weight. "You have five minutes to rest." He warned as he leaned against a nearby tree.

"How does your sword stay on your back? There's nothing holding it." Cassandra questioned as she sat down against a tree.

"There's a pair of runes inside my breastplate. The one placed at the back is for holding my sword." He answered.

"And the other?"

"Know how my armor changes when I transform?"

"Oh..." She picked up a small stick and started to run it across the dirt. "You're really the quiet type, aren't you?" She blurted out. "We've been walking all day and you really haven't said a thing."

"There's nothing to say to you. Besides, not all of us have loud mouths."

"Are you trying to insinuate something?" Her eyes narrowed on him.

He looked at her, and then looked away, "Take the comment however you want. I could careless." He closed his eyes, hearing Soul Edge speak to him across worlds. Taunting him in his failure to contain it like he had planned.

"You okay?" She asked trying to sound unconcerned with his well-being.

"It's nothing." He mumbled. "Come on, let's go."

"It hasn't been five minutes yet." She complained.

"I don't care. The sun is setting and we still need to find a place to camp for the night."

"This is as good as any other spot to camp." He hated it when she had a point. He looked at her, and then started to walk away. She quickly bounced up to her feet and started to follow him.

"Fine, then I'm going to get firewood. There's no point in following." He explained.

"I don't trust you. You might try to run off or attack someone passing by."

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm wearing heavy steel boots. It'd be easy to track me. Might I add that if I were to run off, I'd wait until you were sleeping. And if I were to attack anyone, it'd be you if you don't shut it." Siegfried snapped at her as he saw a tree on the grassy ground. It was dry, which made it a very good candidate for firewood. 'Damn, swords aren't meant for cutting up wood.' He complained mentally.

-------------

Cassandra yawned and stretched her arms by the campfire and laid down, attempting to go to sleep. She closed her eyes, trying to drift off into dreamland, but a strange noisy kept her awake. It wasn't the crackling of the fire, but the scratching of a quill pen as it glided over paper swiftly. Sitting up, she glanced at her companion who seemed to have some sort of journal in one hand and a quill pen in the other. On the ground beside him was an ink bottle, most likely he had it stashed away in his belt pouch.

"What are you doing?" Her curiosity got the better of her.

"What does it look like I'm doing?"

"A simple answer would've sufficed. You have an attitude, you know that?"

He stopped what he was doing and looked at her, "Just with blondes who tackle me in the middle of the street while it's raining and point their sword at my throat."

"You're mad about that?" And she thought she held a grudge over simple matters.

"Not really. If anything, I'm annoyed about a certain woman who forced me to take her along."

"I didn't force you." She felt insulted by his acquisition.

He let out a sigh, "If I refused to take you, you would've followed me anyways. Am I correct?"

She pondered a bit, "Well yeah, but you act like I'm following you because I have nothing better to do. I'm here to make sure you don't try and take Soul Edge for yourself. I remember what happened last time you got a hold of that sword."

"Damn, and here I thought it was because of my good looks." He said sarcastically.

"Ew, come on. You're not even my type!" She acted disgusted. He put his journal, quill pen and ink bottle away. "Seriously, that hideous scar on your face, the way your arm looks when you turn into that demon, and then there's your attitude, which might I add, pisses me off."

Silence crept over the camp for about five minutes, nothing was heard, not even the wind. "Nightmare, why did you first go after Soul Edge?" She asked breaking the silence and stepping on uncharted terrain. He took his cloak and threw it across his body like a blanket as he closed his eyes. "I simply asked you a question."

"And I simply chose not to answer it." He snapped at her, "Now get to sleep."

"Fine, be a prick. See if I care, asshole." She snarled.

-------------

"Siegfried. Siegfried, where are you? There you are." Soul Edge appeared before him. Siegfried flipped Faust over his shoulder and into a stance as he focused on the evil entity before him. "Drawing your sword? You're too weak to fight against me. You tried to fight against my power, unable to seal me for eternity. Your powers have weakened and a timeless body has been granted to you. Forever despair in the remembrance of the onslaught you brought onto mankind. But not only can I remove it all, I can make your deepest desires possible. Your father will no longer be dead, the horrid memories will no longer haunt you, and most of all, your humanity will be restored."

"Silence! I will not listen to your lies anymore. It ends now." Siegfried charged the sword as Inferno appeared and grabbed the blade in his hands. With both hands, the young blond knight swung Faust against Soul Edge. The large double-edged zweihander cried in pain as Soul Edge dug into it and cracked the blade through and through.

"You won't be needing this useless piece of scrap metal." Soul Edge's voice entered his mind as Inferno shattered the Faust by causing some of Soul Edge's power to radiate around the sword.

"I will destroy you!" Siegfried roared as he dropped the broken sword and transformed into Nightmare. With fire in his eyes, he thrust his claw forward, piercing Inferno's armor and exploding violently through the chest.

Inferno looked down at his chest and dropped Soul Edge. "Siegfried? I knew you were a murderer. Without second thought, you killed me just like you killed your father. You murderer." Cassandra's voice came from the flaming skeleton's mouth and echoed like she was shouting in a deep cavern. "Murderer, murderer, murderer."

"Nooooooo!" He shouted out in anger and disbelief, closing his eyes, "I'm not a murderer! Back then, it was an accident. How was I to know the man under that helmet was my father? If I had known, I wouldn't have killed him. I never…"

"You're a murderer." The creature then turned into the person its voice was imitating before pulling itself off of his claw.

"Shut up! The only murderer here is you!" He opened his eyes and looked at the young maiden.

"That is where you are wrong. If my words don't get to you, perhaps you would like to see the murderer's face instead?" Cassandra asked as she took on his appearance, except she looked like he did in his human form. "This is the face of the true murderer. The demon who killed hundreds. Men, women, children, the list goes on. Whole cities fell to blade."

"I…I was possessed. Soul Edge is the one at fault here. I couldn't stop it."

"Soul Edge isn't the one at fault. Soul Edge felt your desires and unleashed them. You went from a worthless brigand who stole from unsuspecting travelers to a mighty warrior feared by all." The false image smirked. Siegfried looked at his claw as the false image continued its taunt, "So fulfill your desires once more and come and claim me. If not to restore your body and mind, then to fulfill your desires."

He shook his head and let out a small laugh of disbelief, "Back then, I was young and gullible. Fell into the wrong crowd and learned all of the things that I shouldn't have. Started to believe that one should look out only for themselves, and the only way to live a happy life was to get rich quick no matter who got hurt. And when I accidentally slew my father during one of the Schwarzwinds' weekly raids, I was willing to believe anything, no matter how absurd it was. Including my own mind games and your promises."

Siegfried slightly shook his head in pity, "It's ironic on how your evil actions made me see my evil actions for what they truly were. I took valuables, you took souls, both led to power. Both of us didn't care who got hurt." He chuckled a bit at the mere thought of how much things changed for him, "But not anymore. I once swore that I'll make sure no one bears the curse you bring. Here me now demon, for I got a new vow. Now that I'm in your home world, I'll find a way to destroy you! My life may already be damned, but I won't damn others by allowing you to exist any longer!"

"Oh foolish knight, you are indeed the conman. You and I both know that there is no way for you to get rid of me. You are a demon, I can bend your will to my own. I will unleash your demon's true nature and slaughter the very woman you travel with. "

"I may be a demon, but I'm no longer your puppet. So you can't control me. You hear me?" Siegfried growled as his eyes turned red as his voice started to get louder and louder, "You can't control ME!" With an open hand, he thrust his claw toward the image. The image suddenly shattered as everything around him disappeared. He found himself in a forest, sitting down by the campfire with his brown cloak on his legs. His right arm was that of a claw, raised into the air like his was reaching for the sky. With a sigh of relief, he looked at the sleeping beauty across the campfire, shivering as a gust of cold wind blew over them.

With his human hand, he grabbed the cloak as he stood up and walked over to his sleeping companion and watched her shake a bit more. He noticed that she had a small smile on her lips, even though she was cold, she was happy. How he wished he could dream such sweet dreams. It amazed him how much he took sleep for granted, and now that he longs for it, it has become more precious him than all of the gold on Earth. A rustling in the bushes about thirty yards into the dark was heard with the sound of several footsteps. All coming from that same direction. The footsteps were slow and some sounded like their feet were being dragged.

He let out a small sigh of sleepless exhaustion, "Time to see who's out there." He said to himself as he threw the cloak around his shoulders and fastened its ties. He the walked over to Faust that stood against a tree and grabbed the blade and flipped it so the blade was resting on his shoulder while his claw was on his hilt.

A voice spoke into his mind, but strangely, it wasn't Soul Edge. It was someone else, but who? "Nightmare, I'm to inform you of a threat heading your way. These creatures, they can't be killed by normal means. You must rely on your demonic powers to vanquish them."

"Who are you?" He was a bit suspicious.

"You'll find out soon enough." The voice said, its tone hinted that something was up.

"For some reason, that wasn't very encouraging." Step be step, he neared the bushes, adrenaline pumping through his blood and sweat dripping from his forehead as he neared. Then, out of no where, a pale white figure leapt out at him! Quickly he batted the humanoid figure away with Faust as he turned to face it. The moonlight shining through the thin canopy revealed to him a zombie with grossly decaying skin. The smell coming off of the fowl creature almost made him puke, for it brought back memories of those he slaughtered. To his right, several other zombies appeared, some with weapons, other without. More and more came from different directions.

A zombie lunged at him, but it was extremely slow so he easily moved out of the way and brought Faust onto it, splitting the undead in two waist high. He turned around with Faust and split three more in half. A zombie jumped onto his back and attempted to bite through his armor, obviously it was trying to get to his skin. "Dammit, I thought zombies only ate flesh in the horror stories I've heard." He grabbed the zombie by its neck and slammed it onto the ground, breaking its legs in several places. There he noticed four zombies crawling at his feet and grabbing onto his legs, he instantly recognized them as the ones he recently split in halves. Grabbing Faust with his human hand, he grabbed a hold of the nearest zombie on his leg and threw it violently into a small band of zombies approaching. Within seconds, he flung the other three off, two into other zombies and one into a tree.

He started to back up a bit, "How do I stop them? They keep on coming back!" His eyes caught sight of the first good news he's seen ever since he started this quest, the upper half of the zombie he threw against a tree was laying down motionless with the skull caved in. "So that's how I stop them." With renewed vigor, he leaped into the fray of zombies with Faust swinging through the air and his claw grabbing the first skull possible.

------------------

Cassandra slowly opened her eyes and stretched out her stiff muscles. She then sat up and looked around, "Nightmare?" She wondered where her companion had gone. "Don't tell me he ran off." She groaned, "I knew I shouldn't have trusted him." A strange moaning entered her ears, slowly it grew closer and closer until it came into the fire's light. She was staring face to face with a real zombie! Almost instantly she grabbed her shield and flipped her to her feet and drew her Omega Sword. Out of nowhere, a loud whizzing sound roared through the air as three of the zombie's heads flew off. With a loud thud, Faust stuck into the tree behind them.

"Remove their heads, it's the only way to kill them!" Nightmare came dashing toward her with a zombie in his claw. He swung the zombie around by the head and into another, ripping the zombies head off and breaking the other's body in several places.

"What's going on?" Cassandra asked as she shifted a lunging zombie to the side with her shield before decapitating it.

"Don't know and don't care. I'm more concerned with getting out of here alive." Nightmare punched another zombie with his human fist and quickly spun around to kick other one. As soon as the two had hit the ground, he grabbed Faust and ripped it out of the tree and split another zombie in half from the skull to the crotch. He then looked at Cassandra who decapitated another zombie to see a strange pair of eyes. There were three of them, each set belonging to a strange black transparent figure. He charged the first set of yellow eyes and punched as hard as he could, plowing through it like he was punching through and hit the dirt.

Cassandra quickly turned around to see the strange creature, "Nightmare, what are those things?" She asked as he got up and swung through it with Faust but still did no damage.

"How in the hell do I know? All I know is that our weapons are useless." He said. Replaying mysterious voice's words replayed in his mind. "Rely on my demon powers? Heh, you better be right." He spoke to himself in a whisper. He swung Faust as flames ignited around the blade and struck the closest yellow eyed creature, watching as nothing happen. The creature quickly countered with its claw and slashed Nightmare in the breastplate, adding to the many gashes it already contained. He let out a low growl as he thrust his claw into the creature with lightning flowing from it. The creature howled in pain as the bolts of electricity entered its body.

"Cassandra, lightning is their weakness." He told her as the creature vanished into thin air.

"That helps. I'm not Zeus, so tell me a weakness of theirs I can exploit!" She yelled out to him as she ducked a zombie's sword and countered with her own blade.

Another one of the yellowed eyed ghosts charged Siegfried with a loud screech. He raised Faust high into the air as electricity started to flow from his claw and into his blade, the blade started to give off a faint blue light from the electrical current flowing through it. When it reached within striking range, he brought the sword down onto the creature which caused it to disintegrate into black vapor. "I'll slaughter you all!" He shouted out as the last black set of yellow eyes turned toward him, meeting him in a threatening glare, both were refusing to back down from the battle of the stares.

"Stop!" A voice yelled out. A mysterious man in gray jumped out of the branches from up above. He wore a dark blue silicon breastplate and boots. The fire's light shimmered off of his long platinum hair as he adjusted his black jacket. The half skirt that dangled from his belt in the back moved with each step as the man drew closer and closer toward Siegfried. The zombies and yellowed eye ghosts all watched intensely as the man moved through the battlefield, waiting on the man to speak out orders like a platoon of soldiers waiting for their commander.

"Who are you?" Siegfried asked as Cassandra ripped her Omega Sword from a zombie's throat and ran over to his side.

"The name is Conner, Conner Sekai. Future ruler of Liut and master of Kyptress and its shadows."

"Wait a minute, that voice! So, you're the one who told me how to kill them."

"Yes, I was. I wanted to meet you in person before my troops killed you. Fascinating isn't it? A massive army of zombies and shadowstalkers under my very command. The man walked around Siegfried, examining his demon form carefully. Then he noticed Cassandra, "I didn't realize that you would be bringing Sophitia on your journey."

"How do you know my sister?" Cassandra asked as she gripped her sword tighter.

"Oh, so you brought the younger Alexandra sister. They do somewhat look alike, but I guess if I were in your shoes, I'd bring the younger one also. Her feisty attitude and luscious body is too much for any man to resist."

Siegfried stabbed Faust into the ground to interrupt the mysterious man before him, "Quit drooling over yourself and explain how you know us and why you're here."

The young man looked at the Azure Knight as a smirk crept onto his lips, "Gladly. Soul Edge and Soul Calibur aren't the only two weapons capable of opening the bridge linking our two planets. I've been watching you for about three years now. As for why I'm here, I want your help."

"And why in the hell would I want to do a thing like that?" Siegfried cocked an eyebrow.

"Imagine having unlimited power at your disposal. Being able to do the impossible and much, much more." Conner touched Siegfried's armor, causing his wounded body underneath and the gashes in the armor to close as if they were never there. "This is only an example of the power I am searching for, and when found, is willing to share it with you. With it, your body will be restored and your mind will be free. Your life will be your own once more. I only ask for your help in finding Soul Edge. I can't locate that demonic weapon for I'm not connected to it. But with my technology, we can use Soul Edge's telepathic messages against it and track it down."

Siegfried looked at him, thinking about the man's tempting offer but he already knew what his answer was. The man said Soul Edge and power, two words he believed that could never go hand and hand and be used to not create chaos. "I refuse."

"I don't think you understand. This is an offer you can't refuse. So accept it, or you and your little girlfriend will die." The last of his threat made Cassandra mentally vomit, for being mentioned in the same sentence as him was horrible enough, but to be called his girlfriend? Down right ludicrous…

"As I said before, I refuse."

"Then perish." The man snapped his fingers as more zombies raised from the ground. The last shadowstalker charged Siegfried with its yellow eyes glowing brightly. Quickly he vanquished it with a slash of his sword fused with the lightning from his body.

"Um, Nightmare. Exactly how powerful are you in that form?"

"Not sure, but the real question is, how fast can you run?" He turned around and started to dash away with Cassandra already ahead of him. She was a bit faster because she wore no armor, but she managed to keep her speed near his so he didn't fall behind just in case she ran into anymore of those shadowstalkers. Their feet raced through the night, step by step, heart beat by heart beat, suddenly they saw the end of the forest and a large graveyard. This wasn't any other graveyard, this was a city. A strange city at that. The buildings were made out of stone, a large pillar of aluminum marked its limits and long strips of concrete paved the streets. But everything seemed destroyed, few of the buildings remained tall and untouched while many others were in ruins and or collapsed. The roads were cracked through and through, street lamps were snapped in half and metallic horseless carriages were ripped apart. Some were even caught on fire!

"We should be able to find shelter there!" Cassandra pointed out as a zombie dove out of the street with its sword poised for a fatal stab. Siegfried quickly batted the zombie out of the air with his sword and into a tree. Within the blind of an eye, Faust was latched onto his back as he followed Cassandra to the city. Cautiously they moved through the city, ducking behind the horseless carriages, darkened allies and finally into the emptiness of a ruined building. The eerie silence sent chills down both of their spines, for they knew their enemy was somewhere nearby, they just didn't know where. "Nightmare, where are you?" She asking, feeling around the dark room inside a building.

"Cassandra, would you quit touching everything?" He complained as his eyes finally adjusted to the little lighting the moon gave through the windows and saw Cassandra's form walking along side the wall with her hand brushing over it to give her guidance on where she was. He walked over to a desk and sat Faust against it before sitting on it himself.. "Hmm, if we camp in here for the night, we should be safe." He analyzed the situation, "There's not many ways inside so we could easily defend it. But if we get over whelmed, there's no escape." He rubbed his chin with his armored hand, "We could look for a safer spot. Preferably someplace high and one entrance and exit. As Nightmare, I should be able to easily defend it myself."

Cassandra sat on the desk beside him, "I think they're gone."

"Yes, they could be." He looked at her as he took his hand off of his chin, "Or they could be waiting to ambush us." When he laid his hand down against the top of the desk, he accidentally pressed a hidden switch. Suddenly the floor below them started to descend into the ground."

"What's going on?" Cassandra asked as the light coming down the hole was blocked by a sliding door.

"Don't know, but don't let down your guard." Siegfried advised.

When they finally came to a stop, they found themselves in a large room with six entrances. Suddenly, men wearing black uniforms and blue silicon armored breastplates with numbers on their right pauldron stormed through the six opening, the half in the back ranks were armed with rifles while those in the front ranks had some sort of melee weapon ranging from a simple sword to a long glaive. Siegfried quickly grabbed Faust that was leaning against the desk and moved it in front of him.

A man in green silicon armor approached them from the squadron of men. "Looks like we have ourselves some guests."


	6. So Many Questions, So Few Answers

Chapter 6: So Many Questions, So Few Answers 

A/N: Some of you are wondering about the Christianity thing in chapter 3 (sorry if I'm late on clearing this up). No I didn't change Cassandra's religion. The priest is just familiar with Siegfried's religion and so, uses his religion as an example. If he were to say a follower of Hades, then Siegfried wouldn't care because he doesn't believe in Hades. Besides, many missionaries were trying to spread their form of Christianity (especially Catholics) around that time period so it should come to no surprise for someone to know a little about it. If you think it is bogus, then look it up on the net and see what you find. Or for those in school, look in your history books. Somewhere along the lines of ancient rome and medieval time periods.

* * *

The man in green silicon armor looked over the two careful, examining their every move. In a strong, fierce voice the man spoke to the two, "I order you to lower your weapons at once."

Cassandra looked at him a bit confused, but since she had no idea what she was up against, dropped her sword and raised her hands as a sign of surrender, "We ended up here on accident while avoiding a small army of zombies. We mean you no harm."

"Silence wench!" The man roared. "You in the blue armor! I order you to drop your sword at once!"

Siegfried gave a small chuckle, "You are a fool is you think I'm going to surrender."

"Nightmare!" Cassandra glared at her partner, "Lower your weapon at once. There's two dozen of them and two of us. We don't stand a chance!"

"You can cower if you like, but I will stand up and slaughter those who get in my way!" He roared as he swung Faust around before stabbing it into the concrete ground and sending a flow of electrical currents into his claw.

"Is that so? Jesse!" The man called out as a woman in blue, female designed silicon breastplate appeared with a large gun. She aimed it at the two warriors and pulled the trigger, sending a canister that flew into Siegfried and exploded on contact, releasing a large cloud of dust. The soldiers surrounding them grabbed their masks on their belts and slid them over their face as the world started to grow dark for the demon and his Greek companion. In a matter of seconds, after coughing violently, the two hit the ground in a large thud with Siegfried's body and armor returning to normal.

------------------

Siegfried shot up from the cold hard dirt, sweat dripping down his forehead. Upon close inspection of his surroundings, he was in some sort of dungeon. The smell was dank and foul, the walls were covered with moss and aged old stains while the metal bars creating one of the walls and the door were covered with rust. In front of the bar door was the woman who fired the canister, standing with Faust in her hands and looking at the sword. The man in the green silicon armor appeared into his sight, looking a bit agitated. "Jesse, are you going to stand there looking at that sword all day?" He complained.

"This is a most impressive weapon. Compared to our guns, I bet he has no trouble killing zombies with this thing. Hell, it must weigh at least one hundred pounds!" She held the sword in her hands, struggling to raise it above her head. "Imagine how much damage I would do with a weapon like this!"

"Now there's a scary though." The man snickered.

"Hey!" The woman slugged him in the arm after dropping Faust to the ground.

The man, who's name had just been revealed as Dyne, turned around and looked at Siegfried, "Looks like one of them is awake. Strange, you should be sleeping for at least another hour."

Jesse glanced at Siegfried and smiled a bit, "Seems like we got ourselves a looker."

Siegfried slowly stood up and stretched. He felt lighter now that most of his armor was removed, all that was left was the thigh guards attached to his belt and his boots. "I take it your name is Nightmare, correct?" Dyne asked.

"The name is Siegfried. Nightmare is a name I want to leave behind me."

"Well, Siegfried, tell me about yourself." Dyne questioned.

"Who I am is none of your concern." Siegfried said.

"Ah, but that is where you are wrong. You see, the elder and I are concerned about you. Never have we seen armor such as yours, so where you are from we simply don't know. For all we know, you could be some invading foreign country, much like the Black Army to the west. Or perhaps you are part of the Black Army? Which is it, my inhuman friend?" Dyne walked over to the cell bars and stared at Siegfried in the eyes, showing no sign of fear.

"You expect me to give you answers when I myself have many questions? Especially when you have done nothing to earn my trust? Ludicrous." Siegfried spat.

Dyne chuckled a bit, "You are in no condition to act tough. If you are found guilty of conspiracy, then you will be put to death. And I'll make sure I'm the one who pulls the trigger."

"Your threats are meaningless against one who has faced death many times." Said Siegfried.

"Is that so? Jesse, open the cell door." He ordered. She looked at him a bit confused. "That is an order soldier." Hesitantly, she complied with his command and unlocked the door and swung it open. Dyne, while withdrawing his pistol, stepped through the door and approached his German captive. He stopped a couple feet in front of the demon and raised his pistol up to the man's head, daring the man to make any sudden movements. Siegfried's arm changed into a claw, shredding the right part of the shirt. "You can transform all you want, it'll do no good."

Siegfried watched as Dyne slowly pulled the trigger, and at the last second, moved his head to the side to dodge the bullet. With the swiftness of a lion, he swatted the man's gun out of his hand and pounced on him, pinning him to the ground with his claw pointed at the man's throat while the man had unsheathed a dagger strapped to his waist and held it to Siegfried's throat. The two stared at each other for nearly five minutes, sweat dripping down their foreheads as they waited for the other to make a move.

"What's wrong? Too scared to move?" Dyne smirked.

"You foolish human." Siegfried let out a low growl, "I fear no man." Lightning started to surround his claw.

"I have you at knife point. You may kill me, but you'll die as well."

Siegfried let out a small laugh, "Death doesn't scare me. But how about you? The thought of an eternal sleep, the thought of losing everything you had."

"That may be, but I place others above myself. If my death ensured their safety, then I'll gladly accept it any time." Said Dyne.

The two made eye contact, staring at each other for what seemed like eternity but in reality was on a few seconds. "That's enough!" A elderly man's voice was heard from outside the cell. Both men quickly turned their head to see an elderly man in a wheel chair.

Dyne quickly sheathed his knife and snapped to attention, "Sir!"

"Dyne, you fool, what do you think you are doing with this demon?" The elder questioned. "Isn't it obvious now that he doesn't mean us any harm?"

"But elder, surely this man means us harm. He doesn't cooperate or anything. Besides, him and his companion are clearly from some other country. They could be spies sent here to see how difficult it would be to invade!"

"I'm aware of that, but because he chose not to cooperate makes me trust him more. It's clear that he could care less about being our ally, so any information about us is of no concern to him. And if you were watching closely, you'd notice that he could've killed you already. To be able to kill a shadowstalker must be a force to reckon with." The elder smiled as Siegfried walked over to the cell door ripped the door off with little trouble. He then dropped it and stepped out.

"Who are you?" Siegfried questioned the elderly man.

"The name is Kyle Raynor, founder of this base. But you will call me elder." The old man smiled at Siegfried, "That is, if you want me to refer to you as Siegfried."

Siegfried said nothing, but his silence told the elder that he did agree with the deal. "Walk this way with me please." The elder asked as Jesse grabbed the elder's wheelchair's handles and started to push him as Siegfried walked by his side. "This journal of yours is interesting. I've never heard of these countries."

"The planet I live on is called Earth." Siegfried said as they turned down another hallway. It was dimly lit, much like the dungeon he was in, but the fact that it was lit by glowing glass bulbs was what really bothered him. Then he remembered what Soul Edge taught him while he was under its control. Taught him a bit about the mysterious world it was from, a more medieval world similar to his own with much more magic. Or to be more to the truth, he saw the memories that Soul Edge had in his own mind. Memories that were now locked inside his mind. Some were clouded in mystery, others were as clear as day.

"This sword, Soul Edge, that is the reason why you are here, correct?" The elder looked at Siegfried already knowing the answer. "A sword of great evil, as you put it, must be destroyed. Much like your world, our world is plagued by a great evil as well. Conner Sekai, a man who mysteriously appeared about six years ago. He brought nothing but death upon the lands. Rumor has it that he has the infamous Nevarious Crystal that was thought to have disappeared over a thousand years ago."

"What does this have to do with me?" Siegfried asked as the elder stopped.

"I want you to help us fight against Conner and the Nevarious Crystal. Over half of the planet is under his control, and I fear that as each day pass, his crystal grows in power and will soon engulf the whole planet in its malice."

"So you want me to chase Conner and Raphael at the same time? I'm not a man to go to far away from his trail to help others. Putting my quest on hold for even a day may ensure my failure. All my life I have been a failure. Failed my father, my mother, and every single person slain by that sword. This time, I'm going to succeed. I have to, it's the only way I can ever find peace." Siegfried said as the elder looked down at the book.

"To carry a burden as the one you carry, it must be so hard. So I won't try to talk you into helping us anymore. I'll let you decide for yourself if it is worth pursuing Conner. Sixty miles north of here across the border in the town of Krena is the Grand Church of Siergu. They have a library filled with information about discovered magical weapons and armor. And if Soul Edge is indeed from this planet, any information regarding it will be there. While you're there, look up some information about the Nevarious Crystal. You might want to know what you're up against if you ever meet Conner again." The elder said as he held the book up in his fragile hand.

"No you keep it. And thank you elder." Siegfried said.

"If you'll come with me, I'll give you a tour of our base and see if we can find your equipment."

------------------

Siegfried sat on the hard soiled ground and leaned back against Faust, which was stabbed into the ground, and opened a book in his hands. The books was loaned to him by the elder, and strangely enough, it was written in English, or a similar version of it for the words were a bit different than the words he'd find in the books from England. The information it provided was indeed interesting. Electricity, genetics, the way the weather works, the stages of an embryo. Each of these subjects were completely alien to him. As he read the book, he absorbed the information into his mind. Lightning was electricity, and the fact that electricity was vital to most animal's, including human's, body and its nerve system was very amusing. To think on how something as destructive as lightning could be so vital to life.

"Hey there handsome! What are you reading?" Jesse asked as she walked up to him and sat beside him. "A book on science? I figured you'd be interested in a book on guns and explosive."

Siegfried glanced at her coldly, hinting that he didn't want her company. She looked at him and smiled as he went back to his book and ignored her presence. "You know," She started her second attempt to have a conversation with him, "we do have cafeteria here. Would you like to get something to eat with me? Because I'm starting to get hungry."

"No." He answered in a monotone voice.

"Well, ok. Since you're not hungry, I'm going now." She stood up and started to walk away. He looked up to catch her glimpsing at him. She quickly turned her head around in embarrassment. After a few tries, he managed to turn the page again as his gauntlet made it hard to turn them. Then he started to read the first paragraph. Thump. He looked to his side to see Cassandra sitting beside him. Her sword was strapped to her side and her shield on her back, obviously they had no attention of detaining her any longer…damn.

"The gods must really hate me. First I get stuck in some strange world, then I get chased by zombies and black ghosts, and now I'm stuck in some underground place for who knows how long!" She complained as she hugged her knees close to her chest.

"Could be worse." He stopped reading and looked at her.

"How?" She asked a bit confused.

With a smirk he said, "You could be in my shoes."

"How could that be any worse? You're used to this stuff."

"Maybe, but at least you don't have to hear you bitch all the time." Whack! She had pulled her shield off her back and slammed it across his head.

He rubbed his head a bit, "Damn violent woman. Seek help!"

"So what are you reading?" She asked, pretending like nothing had happened.

"A book." He snapped at her.

"I could've told you that. What kind of book?" She looked at the pictures and then the words in it. "What language is this in?"

"You speak English yet you can't read it?" He let out a sigh. "You are pathetic."

"Well I'm sorry, but Rothion only taught me the oral part of the language."

"Let me make this clear, I can't stand you. The only reason why I'm even willing to teach you how to read English is because there is nothing else to do to pass time. Now listen well, because I'm only going to teach you this one. There are twenty-six letters in the English alphabet. The first letter is A…"

TBC


	7. The Crimson Knight, Gilgamesh

Chapter 7: The Crimson Knight, Gilgamesh

Siegfried stood in the ruined city above the ground, staring at the rubble that surrounded him. He had only seen the city at night, so he didn't get the full picture of what the end result of losing to the undead army was, but now he did. And this time, he was horrified. So much destruction, so much bloodshed. The elder had told him how they had erected a barrier to ward off the undead, and that it had worked for a long time. Then he told him how Conner appeared one day and destroyed the barrier with a mere swing of his sword, allowing the undead to storm the city and slaughter countless.

"Blood." Siegfried said in a low voice.

"Did you say something?" The elder asked.

"Blood, I can smell it in the air. It's old and faint, but it's there." He looked at the elder. Dyne and the elder both looked at Siegfried, "It's similar to back then. Back…when I was a different person."

"Siegfried, I want you to have this." The elder lifted his amulet over his head and held it to Siegfried.

"What is this for?" He asked a bit confused.

The elder chuckled, "Don't worry, I have another." Siegfried was puzzled as to why the elder had given him such a gift. In a fraction of a second, the elder's face turned serious, "This amulet isn't a normal amulet. It is a magical amulet. With it, I'll be able to see what you're seeing and hear what you're hearing. Also, I'll be able to contact you and vise versa. The world's supply of mana has been shortened so don't be too surprised if you have trouble hearing me every now and then."

"Hey Nightmare! You ready to go?" He heard Cassandra call out. He turned around to see her waving at him. It seemed like she had tossed away her sandals and got a new pair of long white boots that went almost up to her knees. On her back was a large traveling backpack stuffed with many supplies he'd never seen nor heard of. Beside her was Jesse wearing her normal blue armor with a black suit underneath. Just like Cassandra, she carrying a large traveling backpack except instead of a sword and shield, she had a single barrel shotgun in its holster strapped to her leg and her custom designed big gun (which he recently learned was called a grenade launcher) at her side.

"What is this?" The elder asked as they stood in front of the elder, Siegfried and Dyne.

"Sister, you can't be seriously thinking about going with them!" Dyne was shocked at the very thought.

"Yep, I've decided to travel with them. It's about time one of us decides to go on the offense against Conner." She said.

Siegfried shook his head and gave a small laugh that could barely be heard, "You realize that we're not heading after Conner."

"I know. I know. But you are heading to Krena, right?" She asked.

"I am." He answered.

"Good, then it is settled. I am to accompany you to Krena. I have to see what I can find out on the Nevarious Crystal."

"Forget it." He said a bit loud so she would understand that he was serious.

"Come on Nightmare, it's not like it'll hurt anything if she comes with us. Besides, you're not a very fun person to be around when it comes to traveling."

"Humph, we're not here for fun. We're here to stop Raphael." He snorted.

"Oh calm down, I want to get as far away from this place as possible before nightfall." Cassandra and Jesse turned around and started to walk down the road.

"Fine, she can come." Siegfried started to follow them, "But she better not get my way!"

"Siegfried." The elder called out as the young blond knight stopped and turned his head around. "Be careful. During the day the shadowstalkers may not be around, but there is still the undead wandering about." The elder warned. Without a thank you, Siegfried continued to follow his two female companions.

-------------

"So Siegfried, what's the big deal about this Soul Edge thingy?" Jesse asked as they strolled through the woods. He glanced at her coldly. Chills of fear were sent down her spine, indicating that she had hit a sensitive subject. "Okay…I take it you don't want to talk to me about it. Well then, how did you and Cassandra first meet?"

"Worry about the future, not the past." He answered with a snarl.

"What's up with him?" Jesse whispered to Cassandra.

"He's always like this." She sighed.

-------------

"What happened here?" Raphael said to himself as he walked over a pile of rubble that once belonged to a building. There were corpses everywhere, few were fresh but most had started to decay. The stench in the air almost made him sick to his stomach. "All of this death, destruction, so many lives, so many generations, lost forever. This is just like home. All of the wars between nations. Can I ever find a place without so much strife? So Soul Edge, speak to me! What should I do next?" He asked his sword as he knelt down and picked up a dirty rag doll. The sword strapped to his back by the rope across his chest started to pulse like a heart beat. "I'll…find my answers in Krena? Then Krena it is." -------------

"Gilgamesh, come forth my faithful knight." Conner called out as he sat on his throne.

"Lord Conner, I am here and awaiting your orders." A man walked toward the throne in full plate gothic style armor dyed blood red and took a kneel. On the man's back was a large claymore with an exotic hilt made of gold. This man is known as the Crimson Knight for the armor he wears. He is the only human in Conner Sekai's commanding ranks and is said to be one of the strongest mortals in the world. How he got there is as mysterious as his past. No one knows where he comes from or what his real name is. He is an enigma to everyone except Lord Conner.

"You are to head over to Pearl Forest and see what information you can get from the Azure Knight, Nightmare."

"What type of information are you looking for my lord?" The knight questioned his master. Conner smiled at his loyal minion. Most of them would take their leave without even bothering to check and see what their master wanted, but Gilgamesh was different. Human or not, he was still one of hismost trusted generals in Conner's army. And this was an example of why.

"Any information you can discover regarding Soul Calibur. We need the other half in order to complete it." Conner said. "Oh, and before you leave, take the Devil's Gauntlet with you. It'll be most useful in this mission."

"Thank you sire. I'll take leave at once sire and bring you the information you require with great haste." Gilgamesh stood up and left the courtroom.

As the Crimson Knight left the room, Conner smiled looking at the door leading to the Nevarious Crystal on his right, "Soon your power will be restored and well be that much closer to obtaining ultimate power."

-------------

"There should be a bridge soon." Jesse said as they wandered deeper into the woods. "Ah ha! Am I the perfect navigator or what!" She cheered and gave a victory sign with her hand.

"This is going to be a long journey." Siegfried sighed as he started to cross the bridge with Cassandra and Jesse right behind him. He suddenly got the feeling that something was watching them.

"Nightmare?" Cassandra asked him as he suddenly stopped and went into a trance.

"What?" He snapped at her, breaking his trance.

"Hey! There's no need for that!" She scowled him. "You need to work on your people skills."

"Whatever." He said coldly as he finished crossing the bridge.

-------------

Darkness had settled upon the forest. Jesse and Cassandra were sitting in front of the campfire with Siegfried in a tree on the lowest branch he could find that would support his weight. Underneath the tree branch was his sword, Faust, leaning against it and his cloak piled up beside it. "Siegfried, are you going to eat?" Jesse asked as she pulled some rations out of her travel pack.

"I'm fine." He answered as simple as possible.

"You sure? Even though you didn't bring any supplies, we've brought more than enough food to last us two weeks, give or take a day or two." Jesse took a bite out of the cooked meat that was dried out so it would last longer. "This jerky is really tasty. It would be a shame if we had to eat it by ourselves." She looked up at him in hopes that he would get up and join them.

"When I get hungry, I'll see what I can forage off of the land." He told her as he closed his eyes and entered a state of thought.

"How long do you think it'll be until we get to Krena?" Cassandra asked Jesse.

Jesse took another bite out of her jerky, "Not sure. I can tell you that it'll be another day at the least."

The sound of clanking metal hitting the grassy floor interrupted their conversation.. Instantly they both turned their heads to see that Siegfried had jumped out of the tree. In his hands and resting on his shoulder was Faust, almost as if it was heavy with the way he was carrying it.

"What is it." Jesse asked a bit concern as her hand inched toward her shotgun.

"Nothing. I'm getting a bit hungry and happen to recall seeing a patch of berries." He lied. "Now get ready to go to sleep. I'm waking everyone up at sunrise so we can get an early start." He then disappeared into the darkness that surrounded the fire.

-------------

Siegfried leaned back to dodge a skeleton's blade and countered with a powerful blow from his fist that sent its head flying. He then spun around to catch a charging zombie in the head with a kick, crushing the skull instantly on contact. As it fell down, another zombie appeared in front of him with an axe in its only arm, ready to strike him down. With great strength, Siegfried plunged his left hand through it's chest and raised it into the air. With his right hand, he balled it into a fist as it transformed into a demonic claw and sent it flying toward the zombie's skull in a crushing punch.

-------------

Cassandra let out a sigh as she laid her head down and stared into the canopy of the forest. "Something bothering you?" Jesse asked as she laid down as well.

"Just thinking of home. Father, mother, sister, brother, I miss them all. -------------

Siegfried sheathed Faust and moved out of the way of twin long swords being lunged at him from an opposing skeleton. He then spun around and caught the skeleton with his boot. With heavy breathing, he picked up the two swords out of the scattered skeleton's hand while reverting back into his human form and normal armor. It was just then that he realized how tired he really was. Attempting to catch his breath, he looked at what was left of the opposing forces, "What's wrong with me? I know my power is deteriorating, but transforming shouldn't put this much strain on my body."

"What's wrong Nightmare? Getting tired?" A strange male voice echoed through the night from all directions.

Siegfried avoided a spear and caught the zombie in the neck with the left sword, "Who's there!" He demanded.

"A man similar to yourself. A man with great power yet no control over his life." A thick mist started to appear with the sound of heavy footsteps and the clanking of metal getting closer and closer. "I am known as The Crimson Knight, Gilgamesh. I was sent here to kill you Azure Knight." Siegfried looked toward the source of the noise, narrowing his eyes and trying to make sense of the figured blanketed by the mist and shadows.

Suddenly, a bright flash of light surrounded his body and the world changed drastically. No longer was he in the dark forest surrounded by corpses. He didn't know where he was exactly, but his best guess what a church. A holy church tainted with great darkness. It was fowl, dimly lit by a fully visible moon. He was in the middle aisle of benches and in front of him was the figure, a figure that was no longer blanketed by the shadows and mist.

The man in crimson dyed gothic plate stared at Siegfried with his claymore in hand. He was similar in build and seemed to be equally strong since he seemed to have no trouble wielding such a long and heavy weapon with one hand. With his free hand, the man tucked a long strand of chocolate colored hair behind his ear, "Welcome to church. Where you're going, you'll need it." The man smirked as he gripped his claymore in both hands and charged Siegfried. With a powerful slash, the man shattered both swords that Siegfried raised to defend himself. As the sword struck the ground, he lunged forward bringing the sword up in a stab. Siegfried moved to the side and caught him with a right hook. Gilgamesh stumbled a bit before regaining his balance and spinning around with his claymore. The clash of metal echoed throughout the deserted church as the claymore met Faust.

"You foolish human. To face me is to face death." Siegfried growled as he transformed into Nightmare. Almost instantly he felt his body growing more tired than what he previously was. "What's happening? My strength…" He said to himself growing weaker by the second.

"The diamond in my right gauntlet is draining your demon's power." Gilgamesh boasted as he forced Siegfried to revert back to his human state. "A little gift from Lord Conner." Gilgamesh swung his claymore several more times and met Faust in the middle each time. On the last swing, Siegfried parried the claymore with Faust and caught Gilgamesh with punch to the jaw and caused him to stumble a bit.

"I've underestimated you. You may not be as powerful as you were two years ago, but it seems to me that your skill has definitely improved." Gilgamesh regained his balance and swung his claymore.

With his large zweihander, Siegfried deflect the claymore, "How do you know what happened two years ago?"

"My master, Lord Conner, was there watching the battle from afar. He told me all about what happened on that fateful night." Gilgamesh replied as he jumped to the side to avoid the zweihander.

Siegfried swung the sword from over head and attempted to split Gilgamesh in half, but the only thing that was split was the bench it struck, "What interest does Conner have in the battle two years ago?"

"The battle was merely entertainment. My master is more interested in the two spirit swords, Soul Edge and Soul Calibur." Gilgamesh clashed swords once again with Siegfried, "Speaking of which. Where is it? Soul Calibur, I must know of its location."

Siegfried slightly moved his arm to avoid being struck and countered with a quick light thrust of his sword.

"There was a light the other day. Our scanners indicated that it was a large source of Mekai. When I last checked, only us humans and Soul Calibur gave off the spiritual energy, Mekai." Gilgamesh locked swords with Siegfried, "Does that refresh your memory any?"

"It does, but I'll be damned if I tell you what happened to Soul Calibur. Besides, " Siegfried managed to break the lock and throw Gilgamesh onto the ground with his sword. Taking his chance, he swung Faust with great precision and split the diamond in Gilgamesh's gauntlet.

"Damn." Gilgamesh stood up as the power drained from the diamond left it in a blinding red light and surrounded Siegfried's body. "I guess the real battle begins now."

With a rejuvenated body, Siegfried transformed into the very demon he resented the most and raised his sword high into the air. "With my power restored, I will crush your body and shatter your soul."

Chuckling to himself, Gilgamesh stood up and held his free hand into the air, "Let me give you a lesson in magic. As you know, demons have powers that are similar to spells except you are using your own spiritual energy to create a desired effect that is nothing more than an extension from your body. Spells however are much different. There are three factors that must be met in order to cast spells. First, there must be enough mana in the surrounding area to create the desired spell. Second, you must possess enough Mekai to affect the amount of mana necessary to perform the spell. That was the part on why demons can't use spells. Lastly, you must picture the spell's effect in your mind and speak the necessary chant. Whether it is mentally or verbally, you must speak it in order to command your spiritual energy to relay the message to the mana and force it to change. Don't believe me? Then here's a demonstration!"

The air around Gilgamesh's hand started to freeze, "Die!" He brought his hand down and aimed it at Siegfried as blasts of icy cold air erupted from it, threatening to turn the Azure Knight into a brittle statue of ice. Siegfried quickly stabbed his sword beside him and held out an open claw in front of him. From the palm of his claw, a barrier erupted from it and held off the blast of ice. "Impressive. And here I thought your only true demonic power was shooting lightning from your hands."

'This is pathetic. He's only toying with me. Fine, then I'll cut him down where he stands!' Siegfried, with determined eyes, grabbed Faust and pulled it out of the ground. "If you thought my powers were the only thing I had going for me, then consider yourself mistaken. This is something I learned from an old knight while in England. This technique is very similar to spells but it can be used by both, humans and demons." Siegfried leapt high into the air with his sword catching on fire. Lightning started to surround his arms as he gripped the zweihander with both hands.

'So this is Earth Divide. One of the few techniques that walk on the thin line of demon powers and magic. The ability to use one's spiritual energy and force it into their weapon so it can act as a magnet and draw the mana in the air into the weapon as well. They say these type of techniques are only as powerful as the energy being used.' Gilgamesh watched at first with surprise, but his demeanor started to change back into a serene state, 'It is surprising that this type of technique even made it to Earth. Doesn't matter, he'll die soon. Cain's Shield!' He shouted out as he raised his claymore over his head with both hands, one on the handle and the other on the blade, and used it to shield himself from the attack.

As the flaming sword struck the claymore, a half-dome shaped barrier erupted over the Crimson Knight's body and held back the zweihander. The fire expanded from the sword as it struck the barrier and the two powers battled one another. "I won't lose! I'll never lose to you!" Gilgamesh yelled out as an explosion occurred between the two swords. A cloud of smoke instantly blanketed the room with the two armored bodies flying out of it and into a wall across the room from one another.

"Ugh, that's impossible. The lightning wasn't the an effect created from Earth Divide, it was him combining one of his own powers with the technique to boost its destructive capabilities even further." Gilgamesh slowly stood using the help of the wall. He took a few steps forward using his claymore as a walking stick. "Perhaps I've been underestimating him all this time. Believing that his powers have deteriorated enough to where he was no longer a threat." He said to himself as the smoke started to clear up. Across the room from him was Siegfried in his human form on his hands and knees trying to catch his breath with his zweihander beside him on the floor. Deciding that it was best to catch his breath as well instead of continuing any further, Gilgamesh dropped to a knee. "You are indeed a worthy foe."

Siegfried looked up at Gilgamesh as the surrounding suddenly shifted back to the dark forest with the corpses of zombies laying about. The few skeletons and zombies that were left started to approach Siegfried to finish off their weakened target. "Stop!" Gilgamesh ordered.

"Why are you stopping them? I thought you came here to end my life?" Siegfried was puzzled at his opponent's actions.

Gilgamesh weakly stood up and latched his claymore onto his back, "It is dishonorable to attack someone who cannot defend themselves, and you clearly cannot defend yourself at the moment. Besides, the outcome was a draw and I want to fight you again someday to see who is truly the stronger knight." Gilgamesh smirked, "Don't die before our rematch." With that, the mist grew thick and blanketed him and Siegfried. When it finally cleared up, he was gone.

"Gilgamesh." Siegfried said as he grabbed Faust and stabbed it into the ground and used it to get to his feet, "Next time won't be a draw." He then walked away from the battle site using Faust as a walking stick.

-------------

The campfire crackled as its burning glow lit the small clearing within the dark forest. Siegfried stepped toward the fire and watched it dance into the night, as if he was playing a violin and it was dancing to the tune. He then looked at Jesse and Cassandra and saw that they were both asleep, dreaming of who knows what. Dreams that he himself would give an arm to experience at least once again. Walking over to the tree his cloak was under, he stabbed Faust into the ground and picked up the cloak. He then sat down and leaned back against the base of the tree and covered up. "It seems tonight will be another sleepless night."

TBC… 


	8. Escape to Sea

A/N: Hey, sorry people. My internet got disconnected for a bit. Don't worry, the next chapter will be posted soon. It's already done. 

Chapter 8: Escape to Sea

The trio stood at the entrance to the city, Krena. Krena was a large, very clean city that held as much technology as every other city. Like all of the other cities, its parameter had large towers going around it to provide an electrical barrier to ward off shadowstalkers at night. The high brick walls shielded the city from any zombies that happened to be in the area. On the far side of the city was the port since Krena was on the continent's shoreline. People busied themselves in the streets, walking around, talking with friends, doing business or any other similar activities. Krena was the busiest city any of them has ever seen.

"So this is the temple where we'll find that library…" Cassandra was completely breathless at the large white stoned, smoothly surfaced temple that stood in front of them. People were walking by them to and from the temple. The large maple doors were finely crafted with enriched details engraved in the center. The temple, to put it mildly, would make the richest men in Athens roar with jealousy.

"Wow, I didn't realize that it was this beautiful!" Jesse stared in awe.

"Who cares how the temple looks. I'm only interested in the library." Siegfried interrupted his two awe-struck female companions. "Now quit drooling and come on."

* * *

"Drive, come here." Conner commanded, tapping his fingers on the arm of his throne.

A shadowy figure cloaked in pure black approached the throne, his face was covered by a mask. "What do you command me to do, my master?"

"Intercept Siegfried in Krena. It seems that he's investigating into Soul Edge." Conner explained.

"Lord Conner," Gilgamesh, who was standing beside Conner, proceeded to ask, "if I may be so bold, but may I ask why it is important that we stop him from researching on Soul Edge? What I mean to say is, if we leave him alone, he'll continue to hunt Raphael and be out of our way. But if we were to piss him off, or even worse, him learning about his missing two years. For is it better for us if he believes that he has been under that sword's spell for seven years instead of nine?"

"Gilgamesh, this is why I keep you as my right hand man. Even if it contradicts what my decisions are, you will voice your opinions or act in a way I forbid to make sure it protects me. But this time you forgot to look at all of the options. If he were to learn the truth about Soul Edge, then he'll kill her. We can't have her killed, at least, not as long as she holds the information as to where the other half is."

"If that is the case, master, may Denote accompany Drive?" Gilgamesh asked the lord of darkness.

"Drive's speed should easily be more than enough to handle Nightmare." Conner explained.

"My lord, though Drive is fast, Nightmare can easily be as agile if he is in his human form and not wearing any armor. Might I add, Nightmare is extremely strong. We'll need someone with great strength to combat him up front. I myself felt like he was going to break my sword when I fought him the other night." Gilgamesh argued.

Taking his right hand man's arguement into consideration, Conner stood up from his throne, "Denote, step forward." He commanded as he opened his hand. A heavily armored twelve foot tall man with a gigantic axe stepped forward and took a kneel. "I want you to go with Drive," Conner quickly closed his open hand into a fist to give a visual on what he wanted, "and crush Nightmare and his companions. If you have too, take that newly acquired prisoner with you to use as bait. Now go!" He ordered as the two men stood up and walked away.

"Gilgamesh, have Serena tell my soldiers to arm themselves and alert my shadowstalkers and undead generals. We're attacking Krena tonight!" Conner sat back onto his throne. "Oh, and before I forget. Have someone bring me my new sword. If Nightmare is in Krena like you predict, then I want to test it on him. Its' power should bring back some old…memories."

"At once my lord." Gilgamesh bowed before turning around to take his leave.

"Gilgamesh, just one minute. I just thought of a special mission for you to do during the raid."

* * *

"Found anything yet?" He heard the elder ask through the amulet. The amulet around the knight's neck started to glow, attracting a few onlookers who were at first staring at this strangely armored individual.

"These old books are about as useless as Cassandra." He turned the page as he started to scan the words. Next thing he knew, a large book smack him across the head. Whack! "What the hell did you do that for?" He turned his head around and yelled at the Greek girl.

"I heard your comment. Just be glad I didn't hit you with my shield!" She yelled back.

He turned his attention away from her and went back to his book while grumbling, "Damn short tempered, disrespecting, useless girl."

"You say something?" She eyed him suspiciously.

He jerked his head around, "I said…"

Throughout the hallways, in the rooms and chambers, and on the streets outside the thick walls, people stopped to listen, wondering what kind of person could scream so loud with pain. "OW!"

* * *

Walking through the streets was a man wearing a purple jacket, looking around for anything that would seem useful. The sword on his back started to pulse once more.

"Well, if he's here, then it would be rude of me to not check up on him. Now wouldn't?"

Stretching out his arms, Siegfried stood up from the wooden chair and grabbed his cloak and draped it over his shoulders before tying the leather strings at his neck. "Where are you going?" He heard Cassandra's ever suspicious voice.

"I've had nothing to eat in the past two days." He answered as his stomach let out a rumbling growl.

"Fine, then I'm coming with you. Jesse, are you going to join us?" She looked at their brown haired companion who just waved them goodbye while keeping her eyes glued to her book.

Siegfried grabbed his sword and latched it onto his back, "Now let's go. The sooner we eat, the sooner we can return."

The two sat at a table with a plates of steak, bread and a side dish of broccoli. The patio belonging to the small restaurant was clean and painted orange, the music from the violin was soft and slow. It's tune touching everyone who hears it in the heart.

"Your manners are terrible." Cassandra said a bit disgusted as Siegfried quickly ate the steak while from time to time taking a chunk out of his bread.

"Some people aren't used to taking their time to eat because they're always on the move." He said while chewing on a mouthful of bread.

"Ugh, chew and swallow before speaking." She cut a piece of her steak with her knife and stabbed it with her fork.

He swallowed his food and then gulped down his water, "Just be glad that I paid for all of this and quit complaining."

"I was afraid that you'd be forced to work here for the food. Then again, that would be entertaining." She giggled at the thought of him walking around and asking to take people's orders.

"Gold is a universal currency. So it should come to no surprise that it was accepted here, especially since we're in a civilized society." He stated a fact while setting his cup down beside his empty plate.

"Oh, hey there little girl." Cassandra noticed a little girl in dirty, yet finely crafted clothing.

"Huh?" Her male companion said as he started to turn around. "What the…!" Next thing he knew he fell back on the chair and struck the hard ground. His eyes, while still in a daze, noticed that the girl had snatched his old cloak and took off full speed down the road.

Quickly getting back onto his feet, Siegfried grabbed Faust and charged after the girl, "Get back here thief." His voice roared through the streets while pushing through the crowd.

People were screaming at him, threatening to kick his butt or telling him that he's rude as he pushed past them. Soon, he found himself in an ally with the little girl trapped against a wooden fence. "Look, I'm not here to hurt you. So just hand me my cloak and I'll leave you alone." Siegfried explained.

"I'm…I'm sorry. I had no choice or they would kill him." The little girl, who seemed to be about the same height of the average ten year old, said as a strange, psychotic laugh echoed into the ally.

"Good girl." A man on the rooftops appeared. In one hand was a dagger, in the other hand was a little boy who couldn't be much older than the little girl. "You brought him here."

"Please! Leave let him go! I'm your prisoner, not him!" The girl pleaded tearfully.

With an evil smirk, the black haired man said, "Yeah sure." In the blink of an eye, the boy's throat was slit and his body thrown into one of the ally's dumpsters.

"No!" The little girl shriek in terror.

"Nightmare! Who's that man?" Asked a confused Cassandra who had finally caught up.

"Bastard. You'll pay for that." Siegfried growled as he transformed into his demonic alter ego. "If you had a problem with me, then fine. But you could've at least left the children out of it."

"You don't get it, do you? Lord Sekai was planning on killing them anyways when he invades this city tonight. Everyone, women, men, children, dogs, cats…it doesn't matter. All are to die as an example to those who barricade themselves behind walls and barriers and refuse my master's will." The man smirked. Drawing his other dagger, the man charged Siegfried in an attempt to pierce his heart.

"Ugh!" Siegfried, a bit too slow to completely dodge the quick dagger, groaned in pain as it pierced his armor and entered his left shoulder.

"Hurts doesn't it." The man let out a small chuckle as he tried to twist his dagger to cause even more damage. The blade snapped under the pressure, causing the man to lose his balance and fall backwards. "My dagger! But how?"

"A sharp weapon is good. But if it's edge is too sharp for the actual weapon to handle, it'll become brittle and snap when it pierces something hard." Siegfried drew Faust, "Now enough talk! Die!" He swung his mighty zweihander at his smaller opponent. With little effort the smaller man dodged the sword and kicked Siegfried in the chest causing him to stumble backward.

"Your too slow." The man gave an evil grin as he approached Siegfried.

"Then allow me to fix that." Siegfried sheathed Faust and transformed back into his human state.

The small man chuckled, "To deal with me, you'll need what flexibility your field plate offers. But to deal with my friend, you'll need the defense of your full plate and the strength of a demon." As if on command, the right wall in the ally exploded as a huge fully armored man with a gigantic axe on his back came through and punched Siegfried into the other wall.

"Cheap." Siegfried growled as he slowly stepped through the cloud of dust and over the pile of rubble. His armor dirtied from the crash and his pierced wound cover with small debris, blood was dripping from his lip. "Cassandra. Go get Jesse."

"But, what about the girl?" Cassandra started to argue as she quickly readied her sword and shield.

"Girl!" Siegfried fiercely called out. "Go with Cassandra." The shaken little girl looked at Siegfried. "Go! Unless you'd rather I go and you stay and fight these two." Fearful that he was serious, the little girl quickly ran over to Cassandra who had sheathed her sword and grabbed her by the hand and ran out of the ally.

"Denote, go get the girls." The smaller man ordered.

"No. Drive not boss. Denote not listen to Drive." The large man drew his axe and slid the rope off of it and dropped it to the ground. "Denote go after strong man."

_ Great, my sword is too slow to hit the asshole but if I don't use it, goliath over there will slaughter me. And Nightmare is definitely out of the question because of his lack of speed. Come on Siegfried, think!_ Siegfried eyed the two men, the smaller one in fully leather armor and the other in a crude form of full plate.

"Fine, I'll get the girls." Drive made a mad dash for the opening to the right of Siegfried. Before he could even realize what was happening, he found himself being cloth lined by Siegfried, the arm harden by the armor knocking the breath out of him. Without even giving him a chance to get back up, Siegfried grabbed him by the collar of his leather vest and ripped him up from the ground and tossed him into the far corner of the ally.

"Denote's turn. Denote kill puny man." The behemoth roared as he raised his axe. Siegfried unsheathed Faust and jumped to the side to dodge the blade. Quickly he countered with his sword and caught the giant in the chest, scratching the armor like a nail scratching iron.

_ Not good._ He mentally cursed his weak human state while slowly backing up. His sword may have been sharp and strong, but this oversized man's armor was simply too much. He could cut through bronze, iron, steel with his sword; hell, limestone and harder types of wood didn't even stand a chance. But this here, it made his sword seem dull. And he knew that if he were to strike it was Nightmare, even if it did cut through, most likely his sword would break, crack or several chip in some manner. _Must remember, I'm in another world. Perhaps they have something much stronger than the metals we have on Earth. Or, perhaps this behemoth's armor is just like Nightmare's and uses a rune to make it stronger than normal._ He tried to reason with himself on why his sword was deflected while the man readied himself for another swing.

"Puny man die." The man said in his deep voice and swung his axe. Suddenly a red demonic aura surrounded Siegfried's body as his armor and arm changed back into their demonic state. Siegfried raised his sword and as it let out a loud metallic cry of pain, blocked the axe. "Puny man can't resist." Denote smirked as he pushed a little harder, causing his axe to dig into the gigantic sword.

At least his axe isn't very sharp. Though, sharp or not, with his brute strength it doesn't matter. A few more shots and Faust has had it. Siegfried gritted his teeth as he suddenly found himself on one knee while trying to ward off the axe.

Seeing his chance to attack, Drive leaped over Denote with his dagger aimed for the German knight's head. In a split second, a blast of red energy collided with Drive and knocked him away. "Who's the idiot that attacked me?" Drive landed in a handstand and threw himself into the air and somersaulted before landing on his feet.

At the entrance to the ally stood Raphael wielding his Flambert in one hand and Soul Edge in it's long sword form in the other. "Humph, and here I thought you were a powerful demon. Siegfried, surely you can do better than that." Raphael smirked as Drive started to walk toward him.

"Raphael?" Siegfried glanced at the Frenchman before applying some of his demonic energy into his sword to throw Denote back. He wanted to save his demonic energy, but he'd rather spend a little than be out shown by Raphael Sorel.

"What? No thank you? Even peasants have manners." Raphael taunted as he took a stance. Siegfried shot him a nasty glare. "Well, looks like it's two on two. This should be fun."

In a blind rush, Drive charged Raphael and thrust his dagger at blinding speeds. "What the…?" He suddenly stopped as Raphael mysteriously disappeared from his spot.

"Knell you dog!" He heard a voice coming from above. When he looked up, Raphael landed in front of him while swinging Soul Edge. "Pathetic." He spat as Drive fell backwards, causing most of his head and right arm fall off, showing that it was severed at an angel.

"So you're Raphael Sorel." An all too familiar voice appeared behind Denote, a crimson sword in his right hand. Dangling from his neck was a black gem. "That ring on your left hand has the power to greatly increase your speed. That is why you were able to defeat Drive with little difficulty."

"It was given to me a year ago from a priest in Athens who…wait. Who are you? And how do you know about my ring?" Raphael's awareness kicked him, telling him that the man before him was more than meets the eye.

"That sword… No!" Siegfried's eyes shot open as he finally caught sight of the sword in Conner's hand. "It can't be!"

"What?" Raphael looked at Siegfried.

"Soul Edge…" Whispered the knight.

"Soul Edge? What about it? The sword that man holds is clearly an imposter." Raphael boasted with confidence and charged the man.

A smirk appeared on Conner's face as he raised his Soul Edge. With a swipe of the sword, a blast of strong air shot forth and blew Raphael back several feet. "Okay, so it's real." Raphael realized as the sword in Conner's hands and the sword in his hands started to give off a red glow.

"He has the other one." Siegfried explained. "But, that one was destroyed by Sophitia and that one Asian girl."

"That's preposterous!" Raphael looked at Siegfried, "How can there be two Soul Edges?"

"Soul Edge is in actuality twin swords. You hold the male counter part. He holds the female." Answered Siegfried who kept his eye on Conner and Denote.

"Raphael, I think it's about time you hand over your sword." Said Conner while he snapped his fingers.

Gilgamesh appeared in front of Raphael in a blinding light and ripped Soul Edge from his hand. "Typhoon Concussion!" Called out the Crimson Knight as a gust of wind blew Raphael off his feet before he could even react.

"My lord, catch!" Gilgamesh threw Raphael's Soul Edge at Conner.

Siegfried charged Conner, who now had both Soul Edge's in his hands, and summoned some of his demonic energy into his sword. "There is no way I'm going to allow you to take both Soul Edge's into your possession!" Siegfried's sword flared up with fire as electricity flowed into his claw. With his inhuman strength and agility, he leapt high into the air raising his sword overhead, "Earth Divide!"

"Your tricks won't work on me!" Conner readied both swords and leapt into the air, clashing swords with Siegfried. Upon impact, a burst of red light appeared through an explosion of demonic energy.

A smile appeared on Gilgamesh's face as he saw Siegfried flying backwards out of the smoke. "My lord, forgive me but I'm going to take my leave and complete the task you assigned to me." He said before casting a teleportation spell.

* * *

"Jesse!" Cassandra called out as she burst into the library.

"Cassandra? What's going on? I heard an explosion outside!" Jesse asked as she stuffed a book into her travel pack.

"It's Nightmare. We were attacked! Come on! He needs our help!" She grabbed her travel pack that was on the table beside Jesse before taking off back through the door she entered.

* * *

Explosions rocked the city as the towers and main gate blew up in clouds of smoke and fire. Warriors of the undead, shadowstalkers, and the Black Army stormed the city as everyone started to run for their lives.

"Jesse, what's going on?" Cassandra asked her friend as she quickly drew her sword and readied her shield.

"The city! It's being invaded!" She grabbed her grenade launcher and loaded a shell into it. "Let's go! We have to find Siegfried and get out of here!"

* * *

Siegfried skid backwards on the ground, "Ugh. I forgot about him." Slowly he picked himself off of the ground and glared at Denote.

"Denote kill puny men." The giant roared as horns sprouted on his head, "Death be painful. Death be slow." The giant slammed his axe into the ground, "Axe split puny man's head like ground."

"Raphael, you attack left. I'll attack right." Siegfried instructed. The two took off matching speeds and slowly drifting to the walls of the alley to surround the behemoth. Taking the initiative, Siegfried lunged at the giant with his sword ready. Denote quickly turned his direction and swung his axe, knock Faust out of Siegfried's clawed hand.

"Arg!" Denote cried in pain as Raphael pierced the unprotected armpit area with his rapier and disabled the shoulder. Dropping his axe to the ground, Denote grabbed Raphael by his head with his powerful left hand and raised him into the air while trying to crush his skull in his mighty grip.

"Let go you barbaric beast!" Raphael slammed the guard of his rapier to Denote's plated glove.

Siegfried gritted his teeth and watched helplessly while trying to think of a plan to take down their large enemy. Then he saw it. A light of hope for their grim situation. Drive's dagger. Quickly he freed the dagger from Drive's lifeless hand and ran up to Denote. Like a gymnast who rehearsed for hours on end, flipped high into the air over Raphael and landed on the giant's shoulder and clung onto its right horn with his claw. Mercilessly he jammed the dagger into the giant's eye causing it to stumble and drop Raphael. Siegfried calmly jumped off and walked over to his sword and picked it up as the giant fell backwards, its head thrashing about violently for a few moments before its loud cry ceased and all sign of life in its body disappeared.

"As impressed as I am, your futile acts of rebellion are getting quite annoying." Conner stood straight up and lowered brother of his swords. "So allow me to relieve you of the nightmare that has plagued you for so many years.

"Fool," Siegfried swung Faust over his head before taking a stance to give himself more power when he swung his sword, "allow me to show you a true nightmare."

"Humph, you may have Soul Edge, but this is one waltz you can't keep up with." Raphael taunted as he held the rapier in front of him, blade going between his eyes as he glared at the Lord of Darkness.

* * *

Cassandra leaned back to dodge a skeleton's blade and countered with her Omega Sword. Two other skeletons jumped at her, one with a spear, the other with a mace. Boom! Both skeletons exploded into bone splinters. "And who says a lady must be delicate when handling her problems?" Jesse cheered while she loaded another impact grenade into her grenade launcher.

"We have to find someplace safe. We can't fight and protect the girl at the same time." Cassandra reminded as she blocked another sword and stabbed its human wielder in the throat.

"I know. I know." Jesse fired another grenade into a group of skeletons and black army soldiers.

"Above you!" The girl warned Cassandra in a loud scream.

With catlike reflexes, Cassandra dove to the side to avoid being struck by a claymore wielding knight. "So, you're the Azure Knight's companion. You are very beautiful." Gilgamesh praised. Instantly, Cassandra readied her shield in front of her to take a defensive stance.

"Whoever you are, you're in the way!" Jesse raised her grenade launcher and pulled the trigger. In a small cloud of smoke and burst of fire, the grenade shot forth and struck Gilgamesh in a small explosion.

"Your weapons are useless against me." Gilgamesh's voice was heard through the smoke. In a matter of seconds, the smoke cleared to reveal a barrier surrounding the Crimson Knight's body.

* * *

Clank! Shwink! Swoosh! Siegfried constantly clashed swords with his powerful opponent. Raising his sword overhead, gathered his exhausted body's strength and slammed it down in a devastating chop striking…gravel? Before he could defend himself, Raphael's rapier appeared in front of him and parried a fast approaching Soul Edge with the guard. "I've never fought someone this skilled." Raphael stated as he dodged a thrust from Conner's right sword.

Conner quickly shifted his body to duck a swipe from Siegfried's sword and narrowly dodge Raphael's counter. "Two on one? Haven't you two ever heard of fair play?" Conner taunted as he backed away a bit.

"I got your fair play right here!" Siegfried jumped into the air, charging another Earth Divide. Conner quickly jumped backwards to dodge Faust and watch as it slammed to the ground, but his eyes widen with surprise and fear as he realized that Siegfried had predicted his movement when he shifted his feet and hands to perform a rising thrust after the sword hit. "Got you!"

The tip of the sword lightly pierced his right arm as he attempted to dodge, "You managed to predict my movements. Shows how skilled you truly are." Conner complimented as Raphael dashed at him and made several quick swipes with his rapier followed by a series of short, light thrusts. "Attempting to take control over the situation using your speed? Smart. But too bad your hands aren't as quick as your feet." Conner dodged every swipe and parried every thrust.

"You can't hold out forever. You'll tire soon. Whether human or beast, your body will always have a limit." Raphael thrust his rapier for Conner's heart.

"Yes, and from how tired your friend is, I'm beginning to think he's about to reached his." Conner parried the thrust and swung his other sword.

Raphael ducked the sword and somersaulted backwards and stood beside Siegfried, who he finally noticed was breathing heavily. "Siegfried, you should back down and rest a bit to catch your breath. I'll handle this vermin."

"No, I will not back down. I will defeat Conner and get back Soul Edge." Siegfried growled as he readied his sword while sending large amounts of demonic energy into it.

"I'm not sure you can do that. You see, I know about your body. Your powers have deteriorated greatly. And with every little bit of power you use to attack me, you get weaker and weaker. But the real secret to my victory is that you've been using large amounts of energy just to defend yourself from the mental attacks from the spirit inside of Soul Edge. " Conner smirked as he pointed his recently acquired Soul Edge at Siegfried.

"I can fight the demon inside that sword all day! I won't lose to it! Nor will I lose to you!" He stabbed his sword into the ground, sending a burst of demonic energy forward like it was following a trail of oil.

"You don't get it? Your powers are weak!" Conner canceled Siegfried's energy trail with one sword and shot out a blast of demonic energy from his other sword that knocked both Siegfried and Raphael out of the ally and into the corpse filled street. "I thought you two would be a challenge."

* * *

"Watch out!" Jesse's grenade collided with Gilgamesh's fireball.

"How much longer do you two think you can keep it up?" Gilgamesh asked, "Your powers are nothing compared to Nightmare when I fought him the other night."

"Fought him?" Jesse look at him with a confused expression on his face. Cassandra readied her shield in front of her, the little girl right behind her grasping onto the back of her shirt.

"Now allow me to cool you two down to the bone. Freezing bane of ice's touch, chill my enemies and stop their blood. Freezing Wi…ugh!" A large, azure armored knight crashed into him as the air around his left hand started to freeze and become an icy blue spiral.

"That bastard will pay for that." Siegfried spat some blood as he stood up and stuck out a hand to catch a flying Raphael. He dropped his temporary ally and picked up Faust from the ground.

"Siegfried! Look out!" Jesse warned. Siegfried quickly turned his head and cart wheeled away while doing a small twist halfway through the process to avoid a swipe from Gilgamesh's blade and face the attacker.

"Dammit, I don't have time for you!" Siegfried growled after landing in a crouching position.

"You're not my target, so you should have nothing to worry about. That is, if you agree to hand over Cassandra." Siegfried rose up, swinging his sword at Gilgamesh with tremendous force, nicking him in the breastplate as Gilgamesh jumped backwards.

"Gilgamesh, why haven't you got the girl by now?" Conner questioned as he appeared from the fire lit sky and landed in front of Gilgamesh.

"I'm sorry my lord. They appear to be putting up a struggle. But now that Nightmare has arrived, it'll be quite a while before I am able to apprehend her." Gilgamesh answered apologetically.

"If you can't handle a weak demon, then I'll have to take care of it myself." Conner snapped at his subordinate.

"We can't take them both on at once." Raphael looked over his shoulder and at Siegfried who was now knelling to catch his breath.

"What choice do we have?" Siegfried slowly stood up. "It's fight or die. That's how it has always been."

"We could always escape to the docks. There's bound to be a ship attempting to escape. We could board one of those." Jesse said as she stood beside Siegfried.

"Where's the docks?" Asked Siegfried.

"Right down the road behind us. We just gotta outrun these two." She explained while loading up a smoke grenade into her grenade launcher, "Everyone, run!" She fired the grenade at Conner as everyone quickly turned around and made a mad dash down the road as a cloud of smoke engulfed Conner and Gilgamesh.

"You're not getting away from me!" Conner's voice rose with anger as he dashed through the smoke and after his escaping prey.

* * *

"Look!" Jesse pointed out a large wooden ship on the verge of leaving as they quickly entered the port, "We won't make it!"

"Raphael, use your ring and grab the little girl." Siegfried instructed as he picked up Jesse with one hand. As the crew started to pull in the ropes that kept the ship from drifting away from the docks, Raphael jumped up and grabbed hold of one with one hand while holding the little girl in his other arm.

"Hey!" Shouted a surprised Jesse. He knew he wasn't as agile and flexible in his demon form, but he could still exert some of his demonic energy to give himself a boost of speed. Quickly he caught up to Cassandra and scoop her into his demonic claw. "We're not going to make it! They've just pulled up their plank."

"Don't worry!" Siegfried, barely able to keep beside the ship, quickly found himself running out of space between him and the ocean.

"We're going to run into the water!" Cassandra screamed.

Like a cat, he leapt high into the air and onto the deck of the ship, some of the sailors staring in awe as he dropped the two girls onto the cold wooden floor. "Hey! Jerk, not so rough!" Cassandra complained.

"You're late." Raphael smirked as he saw Siegfried drop to his knees while reverting back into his human form.

"Late or not, we still made it."

Siegfried's chest heaved in and out rapidly as he tried to catch his breath, "Raphael, answer my one question. Why did you help me back there?"

"Soul Edge suggested that I join you if I wanted to discover whoever destroyed that city." Raphael answered.

"Well you got your answer, so why are you still around?" Questioned the Azure Knight.

"Funny on how circumstances can make a person choose to become allies with his enemy. Now that he has my Soul Edge, I'm afraid there isn't much I can do to fight him alone. I'll require your assistance." Raphael let out a sigh.

"Raphael, Nightmare, Jesse just finished talking with the captain. We'll be docking in Nase. From what she told me, its a city in the lower part of the Kingdom of Syr on the Grethin continent." Cassandra walked over to her two male companions. "Now all we have to do is relax."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Came an all too familiar voice behind them.

Siegfried quickly got onto his feet and turned his head around, "Conner." He gritted his teeth in anger.

"So, there she is. There's my future wife." Conner pointed his sword at Cassandra. "Come with me beautiful."

"Ugh, not your life pal." Cassandra was disgusted with his acquisition.

"Well, if you refuse to come with me willingly. Then I'll have to force you." Conner pointed his left Soul Edge at Cassandra.

The sword started to glow an eerie red as the tip of the sword started to gather demonic energy. Then, in a burst of light, the demonic energy shot forth in a terrifying beam toward the Athens' born warrior. Quickly she raised her shield and closed her eyes, fearing that her shield would fail her and she would fall. In her mind, she prayed that while she was gone that everyone she ever knew and loved would live a happy life without her.

"What!" She heard Conner shout in surprise. Cautiously, she opened her eyes and lowered her shield to see Siegfried standing in front of her, shielding her body with his.

"I swore to myself to protect her. And no one will keep me from keeping my promise. Not you! Not Soul Edge! Not even the Nevarious Crystal!" He transformed once again and started to push through the beam.

"Your energy is exhausted! But…how? How can you be this strong when your exhausted all of your energy?" Conner tried to reason the unreasonable.

"Hey, Conner, hope you can swim!" Shouted Jesse who fired her impact grenade and blew Conner off the ship.

"We did it" A weak Siegfried said as he slowly walked over to the side of the boat and stared at the blazing city.


	9. Siegfried's Story, Cassandra's Promise

Chapter 9: Siegfried's Story, Cassandra's Promise 

The sky was black, the stars were shining brightly. The large ship quietly sailed on the cold ocean and through calm, soul soothing winds. Inside the hull of the ship, down six feet worth of steps were the crew living their lives to the fullest with their fellow crewmen. The far back, however, was empty from anyone. That is, except for Jesse and Raphael who Siegfried's amulet between them while Raphael read a large, hardback book.

"Hmm, it does talk about the Nevarious Crystal, but nothing about Soul Edge." Raphael thumbed through the pages.

"The Nevarious Crystal, a crystal created from the souls of many mortal humans and demons." Jesse said while bringing her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, "What kind of sick person would create such a thing?"

"Says here some sort of enchantress. But, how? How can an enchantress, much less a mortal in general, steal souls to create a weapon of mass destruction?" Raphael asked out loud, knowing full well that Jesse didn't have the answer. Taking his chin in his hand, he entered a deep state of thought.

"Simple, she's a demon." The amulet started to shine a bright green as the elder's voice echoed from it.

"The hell?" Raphael glued his eyes on the amulet, "I must be losing my mind."

"I assure you Mr. Sorel, you are not losing your mind." The voice appeared from the glowing amulet once again. "This amulet is merely a form of communication and I am communicating to you through it. As long as there is a supply of mana in the air, I am able to talk to you and vise versa, see what the wearer sees, and hear everything the wearer hears."

"Well speak up! What makes you think she is some sort of demon?" He asked, his voice in a commanding tone.

"Yes elder, please explain. Enchantresses are wizards who specializes in charms, enchantments and other similar spells. So how could a demon be an enchantress when demons can't use spells?" Jesse asked as well, bringing her eyes up to the amulet.

"I don't care if demons can't use magic. I want to know how in the hell is a demon able to steal souls and use them to create a crystal!" Raphael suddenly burst out in a loud voice.

"Alright, if it interests you that much, then I'll explain. There once existed a race of powerful demons. This race of demons resembled humans so greatly that one could be your bride for many years and you'd never know. But, they held an very unique power that all other demons lacked. The ability to drain one's soul. The fear of this ability led the other races of demons and humans to hunt them down." The elder explained.

Scratching the back of her head, Jesse looked at the glowing green amulet, "Well, that explains one thing. Now explain to me how in the hell she can be a demon."

"Another good question." The elder said as a long pause took over.

"Well?" Raphael glared at the stone, his voice hinting irritation.

"Mana, in case you didn't know, is why humans are able to cast spells. It lingers in the air, awaiting for some outside force to manipulate it. Namely spiritual energy." The elder said as Raphael started to read through the book once more, obviously still listening but at the same time, reading to see if there was any more useful information. "Mekai is the weaker of the two polar opposite spiritual energies. Interestingly enough, it is also the weaker of the two energies, which makes it the perfect candidate to manipulates the mana. Demonic, however, is another story. It's much stronger than mekai, therefore, instead of manipulating mana, it destroys it."

"That doesn't help at all! To be able to use magic, one has to be able to manipulate the mana. How can one manipulate something as delicate as mana if they destroy it." Jesse let out a sigh of exhaustion and leaned backwards until she was against the wall.

"There are exceptions child. Though demonic energy is more powerful of the two, if one has complete control over their spiritual energy and keep the severity of power in check, they'll be able to manipulate something as delicate as mana." The elder explained.

Slowly Raphael turned the page of his book, "Why would a demon want to use magic? Aren't demons born with natural powers at their disposal? So what if the power they use is racially inherited, it is still far better than magic since it doesn't require an outside force. I guess the only drawback to it is that natural powers are limited. One who was born with the ability to fire bolts of lightning can't all of a sudden create balls of flame. On the upside, the more powerful ones demonic energy is, the more powerful the effect of the power is. Of course, that also means that they're really not in control over their power except who they target it at and when to use it. Might I add, that they can't switch to another power if they find their powers being of little help in combat."

"You seem quite knowledgeable of the different spiritual energies." The elder chuckled in amusement.

"When I possessed Soul Edge, all, or at least, most of the information it had flooded into my mind. That was how I came to know about this world in the first place. Mekai, demonic, the rips in the fabric of time and space that separates our two worlds, and the fact that your world's mana is going through that rift and entering our world. But enough about what I was taught by that cursed sword."

"You're right. We should worry about fighting against the Conner." Jesse said. "He already has the Nevarious Crystal, and now he has Soul Edge. It seems so hopeless with the odds against us."

"No, when I saw him, he had a crystal on a necklace. If that crystal is the Nevarious Crystal, than it is only half complete. So the other half is still somewhere in this world. Plus, Soul Edge isn't complete. Hell, Siegfried can even vouch for that. There are still three fragments missing for the female sword. Then there is Soul Calibur. Not only does he not have that, there are still five fragments somewhere in this world that mysteriously vanished in front of mine, Siegfried's, and Cassandra's eyes." Raphael corrected her.

"If Soul Edge is almost at full power, then he already has no need for that sword. From what I saw through the amulet, he was just using both sword's power. Compared to his Nevarious Crystal, Soul Edge in its current state, or even completed, is no where near his crystal's current power. The proof is the fact that both you and Siegfried survived the battle." The elder explained.

"Then why in the hell does he need Soul Edge?" Raphael slammed his book down, "It makes no sense! Soul Edge, Soul Calibur, Nevarious Crystal, what's the god damn link!"

"Instead of searching for the link, why don't you search for the other half? At least then you have a fighting chance." The elder said.

"Yes, but where do we start?" Jesse asked as she watched Raphael pick up the book. He turned back to the page he was previously reading.

"How about the place where the Nevarious Crystal was first defeated. We might find some clues there as to what happened to the other half." Raphael spoke up as he placed his finger on the page to help him read the words.

"It is a possibility." The elder said, pondering about Raphael's comment. "Ah ha, then it is settled. You will visit the site where the last battle the Nevarious Crystal was involved in. When you arrive in Nase, head to Split Rock. You might have to get the king's permission, but it's well worth a look."

* * *

Cassandra stood on the deck, staring at Siegfried who was leaning against the railing and staring at the stars. It amazed on her on how serene he looked when he was without his sword an armor, save for the boots and thigh guards with his belt running through them. When he's completely armored or holding his sword, to her he looks powerful, invincible, and always ready for battle. But now, he didn't. If she didn't know any better, she'd never had guess who he really was. 

"You should talk to him." A small, childlike voice said to her.

She looked down to meet a pair of blue eyes belonging to the little girl they saved the night before, "Why should I?"

"It's clear that something is bothering you. And you've been avoiding him all day, so I'm positive that it's about him." The little girl explained.

"I…don't know what to say." Cassandra explained.

"Just say what's bothering you. From what the other woman told me, you and him tend to not get along. But even if that is the case, it will make you feel better if you just come right out and tell him what's bothering you. That's what my mother always told me. If something is bothering you and you never deal with it, it'll never go away." The little girl said as she turned her head toward Siegfried.

"You're probably right. I'll go talk to him. Oh, I forgot to ask. I never got your name."

"Melanie."

"That's a pretty name." She said cheerfully.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" The girl quickly disappeared down the hall for a minute. When she came back, she was holding an old brown cloak in her arms, "I managed to hold onto this during our escape. I'm sure he would want it back."

* * *

"Damn that girl. I shouldn't have been so careless." Conner sat down on his throne, his body was aching all over from the previous battle. "Kynour! Gilgamesh! Serena!" He called out. 

Two figures appeared in front of him, one was Kynour, the other Gilgamesh. In the back, however, was a figure cloaked in the shadows. She stepped into the light and stood beside Gilgamesh. Instantly the three took a kneel, "My lord." They all said in unison.

"I have some missions for you three. Kynour, lure that pirate to Split Rock. Gilgamesh, I want you to slow down Siegfried and his friends anyway you can. Serena, I want you to head over to split rock immediately and prepare everything for the ceremony. We'll be releasing her within the week!" He ordered as everyone stood.

"At once my lord." Gilgamesh said as he turned to walk away.

"I'm on it." Kynour said as she teleported out.

"My lord, excuse me for asking, but the spell placed on Soul Edge is powerful. We'll need Soul Calibur to help us break the spell." She said while tucking her long blond hair behind her left ear.

"I know." He said as he leaned back in the throne.

"So, that would mean that you have Soul Calibur as well?" She asked.

"No, but I believe I know where it is. I felt it last time I saw her. Ha ha, this is grand! I should've noticed it the first time we met. But that doesn't matter now. What matters is making her my wife after I take over both worlds."

"My lord?" Serena was confused as to what he was talking about.

"Serena, what are you still doing here?" He suddenly snapped at her. "We have too much work to be done. So get!

* * *

The cool breeze gently blew through his hair and around its body, its icy chill eased the pain underneath the bandage on his left shoulder. His eyes stared at the stars, hypnotized by their beauty and wonder. "Hey." He heard Cassandra's voice as she stood beside him. "Here." His turned his gaze to his right to see her handing him his cloak. 

Gently, he took her from her hand and watched as she shivered a bit. When she turned to lean against the railing and stared at stars in the black sky, he delicately threw his cloak around her shoulders. Instantly he was met by a puzzled look. "It's cold and you're shivering, so you can keep it for the night. It'll keep you warm."

"Thank you Siegfried." She said in a serene, angelic tone. The tone, though he definitely wasn't used to it, wasn't what surprised him. "What?" She asked while noticing that he was chuckling.

"You just caught me off guard." He said while turning his gaze back to the stars.

"Caught you off guard? With what?" She asked, sending him a death glare just in case he was insinuating something rude. Which wouldn't surprise her if he was.

"I've never heard you call by my name before." He said.

"Oh." She started to blush from his comment, "Well the way I see you now is different than before."

"How so?" He asked while dolphins in the ocean started to jump up and swim alongside the ship.

"I always thought of you as an evil person. A demon who would killed for pleasure. But lately, I'm starting to see that you're completely different than that. At night while we're sleeping, you stay awake and protect us. When we're fighting, you make sure no harm comes my way. And when I threatened you with my sword, the look in your eyes told me you wouldn't fight back. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm starting to see what Father Prometheus sees in you." She let out a sigh.

"The reason I protect you and keep watch at night is because I made an oath to myself. I put your sister and so many people through hell because of my weakness. To help make amends, I will make sure you see your sister again." He told her, hiding only part of the truth. The reason why he stayed awake at night was because of his nightmares, the voice and fear, not because he swore to protect her. He was a light sleeper, so even if he did sleep, he would easily wake up if danger was nearby.

"It's alright. You don't have to lie to me." She stated with a small shake of her head, "I know the truth. I've watched you at night when you thought I was sleeping. I've even heard you scream. The nightmare's you have must be horrible."

"It's part of my punishment for my sin and I will accept it without complaint." He told her.

"You're so hard on yourself." She let out a sigh.

"Let me tell you a story. Long ago there was a little boy who wanted to be a knight like his father. His father was always at war. Well one day, the boy's father went on a crusade. As years pass, the boy deeply missed his father and even more so desperately to be knight and fight alongside his father. In short terms, he wanted to be like his father. But, he didn't want to take the normal road to become a knight. He wanted to skip being a page and squire and go straight into knighthood. Eventually, a friend of his convinced him to join a gang known as the Schwartzwind in light that if he joined them, he could one day become wealthy. He knew that if he became rich enough, he could get the best equipment and join the tournaments that allowed non-knighted people of noble blood to join and win his knighthood." She listened to his words, his voice and all hints of regret in it. But what caught her was the fact that he didn't hesitate to say anything. As if he rehearsed this story a thousand times and etched it into his heart.

"Well one day, when the boy turned fifteen and became the leader. He and his men were going to attack a group of weary knights and demand all of their equipment to sell on the market. When they attacked in the middle of the night, it wasn't even a skirmish. Most of the knights quickly gave in. But their leader was a different story. He quickly took off and the boy chased him down to a small clearing by a lake. The two fought and the boy quickly was gaining the upper hand. Even though he hated to kill in cold blood, the knight was giving him very little option because no matter how badly wounded he was, he kept on fighting. In the end, he beheaded the knight with a clean sweep of his sword. When he took the helmet off of the knight's head, he was horrified at what he had done. He had killed his own father." Siegfried clinched his fist in anger at that memory. "The boy panicked at what was in his hand and took off into the night. In denial that it was he who had killed his own father, the boy convinced himself that someone else had done it. With the memory that he was the killer replaced with a lie, the boy went in search of his father's killer and for a way to bring his father back to life."

"That boy…his desire to be by his father's side was so great that he became blind between right and wrong." Cassandra said, finally realizing that the boy was in fact the man beside her.

He glanced at her, watching as a sadden expression appear on her face. He then glanced toward the stars again and continued his story, "Well one day, after much hardship and searching, he came across a battle. Two women fighting a powerful man with a set of powerful swords. During the course of the battle, one of the swords were destroyed. When the two women left, both badly wounded, he snuck over to the fallen man's corpse and took hold of the sword. The man arose from his grave and the boy fought a fierce battle with him, but managed to walk away victorious."

Siegfried let out a deep sigh. "I'm sorry if I'm boring you. I'll stop."

"No, please continue." Cassandra persisted.

Siegfried looked at her as she met his eyes, "Alright." He nodded his head as they turned back toward the stars. "As I was saying, the sword he won felt his desire and promised him the resurrection of his father if he stole souls from people. So during his travels, he killed those who were of an evil nature and stole their souls. But unbeknownst to the boy, as he slept, the sword possessed his body and forced him to do its' bidding. Everyday he awoke, blood covering his armor and sword. When the sword completely possessed him, he killed untold amounts of people. One year later, after he had first picked up the sword, he was defeated by a trio of warriors and banished to a void. Miraculously he escaped the void a month later temporarily freed of the swords curse. There, he wandered about while mentally fighting the sword. But because he was stronger than it at the time, he was able to stay in control. But, even though he was in control, the sword continued to haunt him at times, making him wish for death."

"If he wished for death, why didn't he end it there?" Asked the Athens born warrior.

"You see, when he escaped from the void, the memories of the past came back to him. All of the pain he caused in the past, the faces of the people he killed, and the fact that he was his own father's murderer. He couldn't live with himself after all of that. But, he couldn't take his life. No, that sword could never leave his hands. It wasn't because he wanted the power. It's just that he couldn't allow that sword to fall into another person's hands and suffer the same fate as him. For the first time in his life, he was actually living up to the code of chivalry. Fighting for virtue and against the forces of evil. Six years later, the boy is still fighting against the sword, trying to save everyone from its fearsome power and make amends for his bloody past."

The guilt suddenly hit her like a ton of bricks. He was misguided in the past, but he wasn't evil. Selfish? Yes. But not evil. "Is…that why you distant yourself from people and accept the way people treat you even if its horrible?"

"Ever since I chanced upon your sister and her friend fighting Soul Edge seven years ago, my life changed. A burden was placed on my shoulders to fight against Soul Edge. And this is a battle I have to fight alone. It's the only way I know how to protect everyone from its terror. The only way I know how to make amends for all the pain I've caused." He explained.

_My sister didn't kill Cervantes seven years ago._ thought Cassandra, _No, that was nine years ago. If the memories of the past returned to you, then how come you forgot about two years of your life?_

She turned toward Siegfried, "Siegfried, I want you to look me in the eyes." He turned his body toward her and did as he was told, "I want you to promise me to quit placing the weight of the world on your shoulders and allow us to share some of your burden."

"I…" He started to say before she quickly interrupted him.

"Please, let us fight by your side. Let us help you in anyway we can." She said softly and teary, a sign that showed Siegfried that what she was saying came from the heart. He was definitely experiencing a side of her he had never seen before, but whether good or bad, he knew what he must tell her. Even if it wounds her spirit; he had to do it. He just couldn't afford to allow someone else to get hurt in his fight.

"Sorry Cassandra." He said apologetically. Slowly he walked over to the door leading below and pulled it open. Fearing that he might have hurt her on the inside with his refusal, he turned his head toward her and spoke once more, his voice containing that of sorrow, "Your soul is pure and kind, like an angel, but I am to far in the darkness to be saved. So stay as far as you can away from me. I don't want to bring you into darkness as well."

After he was gone, Cassandra turnedto the starlit night and saw trail of white light pierce the blackness like an arrow, a shooting star. A memory from her childhood began to fill her mind, reminding her what her sister told her when they were little. "See a shooting star, make a wish or a promise and it will always come true." She whispered to herself. With determination in her eyes and her heart filled with the desire to protect, she spoke into the chilly wind, "Gods, the wind, the sky, the ocean, here me now and forever remember. I vow to save my once upon a time enemy, Siegfried. I vow to save him from the very darkness that plagues his mind and soul. You have my promise and I intend to fulfill my promise even if it ends my life."


	10. Captured

A/N: Sorry it has been so long. We've been low on money so we had to get rid a few of the luxuries and it just so happened that the internet was one of'em. But we got it back so now I'll be reposting my stories again. Sorry it took so long for an update.

Chapter 10: Captured

"Finally! Dry land!" Cassandra jumped up and down and cheered as they stepped off the ship. "Now onto Split Rock!"

"How far of a walk is Split Rock from here Jesse?" Raphael asked while stretching his stiff arms.

"It's on the outskirts of the city. However, we'll need to get the king's permission to get to Split Rock." She said while stretching out her arms. Coming to a complete stop, she tapped her chin with her fingers, "But I don't think it'll be that easy to get permission. I mean, Split Rock is a most unholy temple. They say the Nevarious Crystal was first created there."

Siegfried walked up behind the trio with Melanie on his shoulders, her hands holding onto his neck guard to keep herself from falling back. In his right hand, firmly wrapped around his cloak and tied with ropes was his sword.

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Raphael asked as they all followed his lead down the people infested pier.

These people, are they all from Krena? Siegfried questioned as he noticed that most of them were either hurt or sick. Isn't anyone doing anything to help these people? No, this isn't right. What kind of king would refuse to help refugees?

"Hey, Sieggy, why'd you stop?" Melanie questioned as she knocked on his head.

"Sorry, lost in thought." He replied.

"Hey! Slowpoke! You better hurry up or we're going to leave you!" Jesse called out, waving her arms. She was already off the pier and in the streets. As he dashed to where she was, he took notice of a building not to far off with people surrounding it. Sick people.

This is exactly like before. Exactly like… Images of Nightmare entered his head. Soul Edge grasp in his claw, corpses were around his feet, most were severed in one place or another. The armor and sword drenched with blood. Fire burned all around him, destroying what was left of a small village. His eyes glowed with an eerie crimson red as his, once blond now red, hair blew in the smoke filled wind. In front of the Azure Knight was himself, on his hands and knees like a whipped dog. Between the two was a snapped Faust covered in blood. His father's head sat on the blade, eyes rolled in the back of his head while he kept chanting 'murderer' over and over. Tears rolled down his eyes as he constantly begged for forgiveness.

"You know, staring isn't very polite."Cassandra's voice snapped him out of his trance. "Hey, you okay?"

"I'm fine. Just got lost in a thought. Well, shall we continue?"

-------------

"Siegfried, me and you, one on one. We'll see who's the better knight." With a wave of his hand, Gilgamesh's armor disappeared as he stared into the mirror at his normal self. With a small incantation, his appearance and clothing changed to that of a wealthy businessman. "And it'll all be arranged by that greedy king."

-------------

"There it is, Syr Castle. Home to King James Syr the twenty-third." Jesse informed them as they came to a large open area with an exotic fountain in the center. On the other side was a gigantic, white brick castle with four towers on each corner. Each tower's roof, along with the castle's roof was gold, though, whether it was gold plated or real gold couldn't be distinguish from their distance. Four guards were stationed in front of main door, the two closest to the door stood tall with halberds while the two furthest had rifles. Each wore white clothing with similar breastplates and boots that Jesse wore.

Step by step, they trailed through the jungle of people, pushing and shoving just to get across the flesh searing concrete beneath their feet. And if that weren't enough, the stairs had to have at least thirty steps hence the castle was on a hill. As they finally reached the top and stopped to admire the castle from a closer view, the right guard holding a halberd glanced at Siegfried through his mask's tinted eyes. "It's him! Seize him!" He shouted as he and his other halberd wielding partner charged the Azure Knight and held their weapons at his throat.

"Hey!" Jesse quickly protest as the tip of a halberd found itself foot away from her throat.

"Quiet." One guards holding a rifle snapped. Turning his attention to the halberd wielding guard on Siegfried's left, he spoke out in a commanding voice, a clear sign that he was the officer in charge, "You! Bring more guards out here and inform the king." The guard immediately took off and disappeared through the main door of the castle.

"Now, I'm only going to ask this once and if you refuse, I'll have to shoot. Drop your weapons and lay on the ground."

-------------

"So, he was heading here, was he? Bring him before me. I want to see that demon with my own eyes." The king gritted his teeth as he ordered one of his personal guards. Immediately the guard walked down the red carpet and through the main doors. "Mr. Dole, thank you for your information. You will be greatly rewarded if he is this demon as you say he is. Though, I've never heard of a demon walking around in a humans' form without the aid of an enchantment."

"Then be prepared, because after today, you'll be weary of every human you ever meet." A green cloaked man said.

"Let go of me!" Cassandra shouted. "Hey! Don't push!" The door swung open as she stumbled in, her hands shackled in front of her by a set of thick restraining cuffs. Behind her were two armed guards, being followed by three more sets of paired armed guards, each with a prisoner. They pushed her down the red carpet and to the steps in front of the king's throne and made her drop to her knees. A shaken Melanie stood beside her like a frightened dog behind its master.

One by one, her friends were dropped to their knees beside her. "Sire," An armed guard approached the king with the wrapped up Faust in his hands and sat it on the floor, "This is the weapon Mr. Dole described." The soldier removed the cloak from the sword and held it in front of the king.

"A large, chipped sword. Just as you said." The king studied the weapon carefully, running his hand over the blade's surface.

"Yes my lord. He chipped it when he shattered the chrysm crystal powering the barrier. And as you can see, the sword is singed all over. The only way a sword would get this badly singed is if it were in a fire." Mr. Dole's lie caused Siegfried to scoff in disgust. "And Krena was caught on fire, was it not?"

"That voice." Siegfried looked up at Mr. Dole and eyed him suspiciously. His eyes quickly turned deadly as venom entered his threatening voice, "Gilgamesh."

Cassandra finally took notice at the man standing beside the king, mostly because Siegfried brought it to their attention when she overheard him say 'That voice'; however, she couldn't quite hear the name he said. Soon she found Mr. Dole returning her glance, an amused smirk was apparent on his face, "Hmm, interesting." He spoke up, "Your highness, forgive me for speaking without permission, but don't you find amazing that this murderer has companions who look as serene as that girl."

"Yes, it truly is, and at the same time, frightening. You'd never guess she was part of a murderous demon's party."

"Murderer?" Siegfried snapped while jumping to his feet, a guard quickly struck him in the back of the knee with butt of his halberd, causing the knight to drop back into a knell, "What the hell is going on?"

"You are accused of destroying Krena. Though it is a city of another country, Krena is a valued business partner. Because of your act, many materials we don't produce here we can no longer get. Thus, when you attacked Krena, you attacked Syr. So tell me, how do you plead."

"You're out of your god-damn mind if you think I attacked Krena." Siegfried was quickly hit in the back by one of the guards.

"Speak properly to the king!"

"Sorry if your king is a fool. Because only a fool would listen to Gilgamesh." Siegfried growled as the guard struck him again.

"Preposterous! Me, Gilgamesh? Ha, listen to this monster. Clearly he is guilty if he starts to accuse the witness as being the infamous Crimson Knight." Mr. Dole gave out a small laugh.

"Really, then what's under all those clothing?" Siegfried questioned, "It is easily to hide one's armor under a cloak. All you need to do is remove the neck guard and pauldrons and you'd never notice."

Mr. Dole untied his green cloaked and let it drop to the floor, revealing his blue shirt and white pants. "As you can see, I have nothing to hide you demon."

"I've seen enough. Take them all away. Tomorrow they'll be executed as the final entertainment in the arena." The king said in a tiresome manner.

"Wait!" Siegfried yelled out as a guard picked up Melanie and started to carry her off. The rest of the guards surrounded them and started to drag them away. "I said wait!" He broke free of his two guards while transforming, his hand shatter the cuff as it turned into a gigantic claw, allowing him to quickly grab two of the guards and toss them clear across the room.

"See your highness! He is the demon I told you about." Mr. Dole exclaimed excitedly while pointing.

"Guards, kill them now!" The king quickly stood up, his voice was firm and strong as he made the order.

"Wait!" Siegfried's voice boom throughout the room as he dropped a guard to the ground. All movement in the room ceased, all eyes were immediately fixed on him, the only noise to be heard was the grinding plates on his armor and one of the guards on the ground moaning in pain.

"Hmm?" He heard the king. He knew he had his attention, and he knew that what he said next determined everyone's fate. He could accept the sentence if it was just him, but he would be damned if he allowed the others to be sentenced as well.

"They're not my friends. Hell, I don't even know who they are. I boarded one of the boats that was escaping and met them there. They said they were going to Split Rock and I asked if I could tag along. They had nothing to do with Krena!" Siegfried shouted as he reverted back into his human state.

"Siegfried, no." Cassandra was shocked by his claim.

"Shh." Raphael whispered to her, "It's his way of protecting us. Don't ruin his plan." As silent as he was, he wasn't too sure if the two guards beside them overheard, but then again, the two guards were too entranced by Siegfried to really notice.

The king sat down and took a deep breath. He watched as several guards wrestle Siegfried to his knees and brought his hands behind his back, instantly slapping a pair of handcuffs. His eyes scanned over Jesse, than Raphael, and finally Cassandra. Letting out a sigh, raised his hand to stop all movement in the room, "Is his claim true? Did you not know who he was?"

"No your grace. We had no idea who he was." Raphael spoke up.

"There's your proof." Siegfried quickly snapped at the king.

"Very well, take him away. As for the others," He looked at Mr. Dole, "prepare some rooms for them. It is the least I can do for their humiliation. Mr. Dole, I'll have a room prepared for you too. You'll receive your reward in the morning."

The guards through a series of chains around Siegfried and pushed him toward the door, "Move demon!"

"Lieutenant," The king called to the guard to his left, "that girl in blue, I want her and her friends to join me for dinner tonight."

The guard turned toward their newest guests and stared at the girl as one of the maids approached them, "My lord, she looks like her…but she couldn't be her, could she?"

"I don't know, but I plan to find out."

-------------

"Dyne, are you sure you want to do this?" The elder asked as Dyne checked the clip in his handgun before placing it in the holster.

"You saw through the amulet like I did. She's there, and for the first time in nearly sixteen years, she's going to meet him." He picked up the rifle and threw its' strap over his chest, "You know how he is. How he conquers the weak and forces them to do cruel labor. How he has those damn arena combat competitions instead of focusing on more important things in the world, in his country."

The elder let out a sigh as he started to reminisce the past. "The brave little boy we found in the woods sixteen years ago, protecting his little sister with nothing but a sword from a small pack of blood thirsty demons." The elder looked at Dyne with a sadness in his eyes. As their eyes met for a split second, the elder tore them away and wheeled over to a chest beside a large rack containing various colors of breastplates. "It's funny, when most people grow up, they change. You, however, were already grown up. It just took sixteen years for your body to catch up with you. To protect your sister, that's how you lived then and that's how you live now."

"I'm sorry." Dyne's voice was barely audible, though it was still heard. He picked up a duffel bag and threw it over his left shoulder. "But you know I can't stay as long as she's there. I can't risk her learning the truth about the father she never knew. It'll destroy her."

"I understand." The elder opened the old, dusty chest. "But before you go, you need to take off that armor."

Dyne turned toward the elder, his fingers touched the insignia stating his rank on his right breast. "You're right. This armor belongs to the resistance, and this rank belongs to a resistance fighter."

"Boy, you're speaking nonsense." The elder scowled him as he desperately pushed himself onto his feet.

"Elder!" Dyne quickly rushed over to him.

With a small chuckle, the elder leaned on the rim of the chest and reached inside and pulled out a small, dusty old blanket, "I may be getting old, but dammit, when I want to get up, I'll get up!" Slowly he moved out of the way. "Now, I want you grab what's in the chest. I'd hand it to you, but these old hands aren't as strong as they used to be."

With his long arms, Dyne reached inside the chest and pulled out a white breastplate with a golden symbol on the right breast. "Elder, this is…"

"Yours? I know. That symbol will remind you that you will always be apart of the resistance, of my family. But, when you go rescue your sister, I want you to rescue her not as a member of the resistance, but as her big brother, Prince Dyne Runner Syr, heir to the throne of the Syr."

"Elder…"

"I have a set of clothes for you as well. But, there is one last thing I must give you." He threw aside the old blankets, revealing a sword underneath with a golden guard and fine red silk around the handle. "I kept your sword because I knew one day you would leave. I just wish it wasn't so soon. Take it, and protect your sister with it as you've done for so many years with your gun." The elder then handed him the majestic blade. When Dyne took the sword, he held out his hand as a sign of trust, which Dyne gladly shook. Dyne withdrew his hand, finding that the green amulet had been placed in it.

"I'm an old man leading a resistance. The only aid I can give them is advice. You, however, are young and strong. You have learned much wisdom from me in the past, and you know as much as I do when it comes to the legends behind the Nevarious Crystal. Provide Siegfried the wisdom he desires and the strength to help him." The elder stated as he walked back over to his wheel chair and eased himself down into it.

"I'll rescue my sister and her friends and help Siegfried. You have my word."

"Good, good. But promise me one more thing before you go."

"What is it elder?"

"Promise me that you'll at least talk to your father."

"I…"

"Listen Dyne. Your father, no matter how bad he is, loves you. It would be best if you at least talked to him. See if you can make him see the error of his ways. Convince him that Siegfried isn't the one who destroyed Krena. You can even stop by to say hi and let him know that you're alive. It doesn't matter how you talk to him, just as long as you do it. Either way, I can guarantee you that you'll at least ease the man's heart."

"That man cares for no one but himself and his damn power."

"That is where you are wrong. Every father in the world loves their children, and your father is no exception. I know this because I consider you and Jesse my own children. And I know I'd be devastated if something were to happen to you."

"I…promise. I'll talk to my father at least once."

"Thank you, my son."

-------------

"And here is where the ladies will be staying." The maid said as they stopped in front of a door to one of the guest rooms. "Please don't hesitate if you need anything." The maid said as slightly bowed her head and walked away.

Cassandra opened the door and stepped into the extravagant room. Two, neatly made beds with thick, blue blankets were in front of them. Between the two beds was a nightstand with a pink lamp in the center. In front of the beds, across the room was a large dresser with an exotic, golden mirror nailed to the wall above it. Beside the dresser was a closet, and on the other side was the door leading to the bathroom. On the furthest right was a sliding glass door leading to a balcony complete with a table and four chairs.

Jesse walked in after her and started to move around the whole room, "This is amazing!" She stopped in front of the sliding glass door and opened it. "And what a view! Hey, Cassandra, you should come and…" She turned around to see Cassandra looking at the bed with teary eyes. "Cassandra?"

She slowly climbed onto the bed and buried her face into the pillow, crying and banging her hand into the bed, "I hate him! I hate him! Siegfried, I hate you!"

"Cass…" Jesse shook her head while walking over to the other bed that Cassandra was on and sat down beside her. Like a mother soothing her child, she ran her fingers through Cassandra's hair, "It'll be okay. We'll find a way to prove that he's innocent."

"Why? He could've easily escaped, but he chose to let them capture him in order to protect us."

"Everything will be alright. Just you wait and see." Jesse tried to soothe her friend. Siegfried, I hope you realize that you made Cassandra cry. You better make it up to her you big jerk! 


	11. Confined

Chapter 11: Confined 

A loud metallic screech entered the foul smelling, poorly illuminated dungeon. The slamming of gates and the steps of men echoed through the cement hall. The screams of men, most were protesting that they were innocent, increased dramatically. Apparently someone who wasn't a prisoner was walking in his direction if the protests were getting that loud. "Demon, you have a visitor." He heard a snarl come from a male's voice. The heavy steel door slid open as a finely dressed gentleman stepped through, entering his caged world.

"Hey, we need some help with this guy!" Another guard's voice was heard from a distance, though it was almost drowned out by the other prisoners.

"I'll return in a few minutes. You'll be okay with this demon alone?" The guard asked, his eyes glanced over at the prison's inmate with hate.

"I'll be fine." Raphael answered as the guard stepped out and slammed the door shut, the mechanics in the lock moved to seal it. His eyes glanced around at the horrid conditions of the cell. A toilet in the corner, a broken mirror and a sink beside it, a black shirt draped over one side of the sink. On the other side of the nine by nine room was a dusty old bed with a cloak individual laying on it, his back turned to everyone who'd step through the door. Cob webs decorated three out of four corners of the room, rats and roaches ruled the floor as they scuttled by. It would amaze him if they told him that some of the prisoners actually outlived their whole sentence in these conditions.

"What're you doing here?" He heard an all too familiar voice coming from the cloaked figure. But it wasn't the voice of Siegfried, no, it was the voice of Nightmare. Almost identical in sound, but the tone was cold. And only Nightmare was cold, or at least, cold enough to send chills down his spine every time he heard him speak.

"I came to talk to you."

"What's to talk about?" Siegfried sat up and discarded the cloak, revealing his bare chest wrapped in the several days old bandages that he received after the fight in Krena. It came to no surprise that he saw Siegfried without his armor. He was a prisoner after all, and prisoners weren't suppose to have any form of advantages, right? But the metallic collar around his neck did make him wonder a bit. Wearily, the knight got out of bed of the dusty bed. The thin and flexible boots he wore underneath his armored ones touched the cold, hard ground as he stood up, rotating his left shoulder in hopes of relieving himself of some stiffness.

"Well, for one, I'd like to know why?" Raphael answered as Siegfried walked over to the sink and grabbed the shirt and slid it on. "Why did you do it?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Siegfried turned toward him and leaned his back against the wall.

"Don't play stupid. Why did you cover for all of us. I always thought of you as a selfish man. The kind of selfish man who'd bring everyone down with him if he himself was going down."

"If I was the younger me…then yes, I would've. But there comes a time when all of us must grow up and change. Satisfied? Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to have my peace and quiet before my execution in the arena in a couple of days. I need my strength if I'm to give them hell."

"Humph, always the tough guy. Anyways, I'm not leaving until I know what our plan is."

"Escape and go to Split Rock. After Split Rock, we head after Conner. Of course you humans will need a days rest before we head over to Split Rock, so it'll be almost a week before we get there and probably two before we even find Conner again."

"Is that so? Why do I get the feeling that you're not telling me something." Raphael shook his head, "Whatever… just don't let it kill you. The girls upstairs would be sad."

"Hey, you there. You're time is up." The guard's voice quickly caused the two to look in the direction of the cell door as it slid open. The guard smirked as he caught Siegfried's death glare, "Yeah, stare all you like. You ain't so big with that collar on."

"If I had this collar off, I'd tear you piece by piece; starting with your toes and slowly working my way up. And when you're limbless, and if you're still alive, I'd leave you in a pile of hungry rats and watch them painfully devour you."

"Big talk for someone in your position." The guard slammed the butt of his rifle into Siegfried's gut, knocking the wind out of him and causing him to drop to the floor. "Just as I thought. Without the use of your powers, you're a weakling. Just like all of the other scum in this prison."

When Raphael stepped through the cell door with the guard behind him, a low, coughing voice caused his legs, "Do me a favor. Whenever you finally get a hold of Soul Edge, I want you to destroy it."

"You know of my wish." Raphael glanced at the knight, if he could even be called a knight in the state he was in.

"I know, and the dream you want to accomplish through it will be nothing but a dream. Take it from a man who's lived down that path, violence will only lead to more violence. In order for you to create a world of peace, you must change everyone's hearts. But right now, the world isn't ready for peace."

"Even so, there has to be a way to create the peace I desire. And with Soul Edge, I'll find a way."

"You want to know how to create long lasting peace? There's a long way and a short way. The path our world is on right now is the long way. Constant war will create pain, and the pain will create scars. From the scars the human race will learn, and as a result, their hearts will change and peace will become an issue."

"And the short way?"

"You must create a catalyst of fear and pain."

"Then I'll create the fear and pain needed."

"This planet is facing such a catalyst. By the time this catalyst is over, every living being's heart will change out of fear. If in defeat, all will forever oppose their ruler with malice. But if they're victorious, the price will be high; too high if you ask me. The suffering will take many generations to ease, and the scar will be too deep for the healing touch of time to erase. But you must remember that scars eventually become light and fear is eventually grown out of. As a result, the catalyst will be repeated. And when it does, there runs a risk that it'll destroy everything. And I mean everything."

"Humph, if it was coming from Cassandra or Jesse, I might consider it to be true. You, however, I don't believe, Azure Knight. You're the last one I'd expect to give out advice on obtaining peace."

"Figures. Then grant me this one favor before you leave. For the next few days, I want you to walk down the streets and look around. You'll see what I saw on our way to the castle. When you're done, come and tell me what it was that I saw."

"Okay, that's enough. I was kind enough to let you two talk this long as it is." The guard shoved Raphael a bit down the hall.  
-------------

"Welcome, and thank you for accepting my apologies. It was rude of us to even consider you as part of a demon's group." The king said apologetically as Cassandra, Jesse and Melanie sat at the long, richly decorated table. In front of them were utensils of silver, glasses of crystal and fine plates of gold. Servants walked through the doors with platters in one hand. One by one, they approached the girls and offered them food. When they accepted the food, the servant would put some on their plates. And when they refused, they simply walked to the next guest, with the king being served last. To Cassandra's guess, it was some sort of ruse the king was doing to make himself seem more appealing…and it was working.

"May I ask where your gentleman friend is?" The king asked suspiciously.

"He had some business to take care of. He's a…a…" Cassandra started.

"trader." Jesse quickly interrupted. "Yes, he's a trader. He went to make sure his cargo is being handled properly. You know how those traders can be. Always paranoid about something happening to their cargo."

"Oh, a trader is he. And that would make you two his…?"

"We're friends of his. We came with him because we've always wanted to see the arena." Cassandra said, smiling sweet as she poked her meat with her fork and took a bite out of it.

"Ah, yes. We do get many visitors. Do tell me, which country do you come from." The king said as his eyes glued on Jesse.

"From the Culzak region." Jesse answered.

"Culzak? Ah, now I remember. Yes, there's supposed to be several city-states there."

"Yep. The Amber Republic to be exact."

"Thought so. The insignia on your armor is from Raynor's group." The king said, noticing that Jesse almost instantly went pale. "You are part of the resistance in the eastern lands, are you not?"

"We are."

"Strange, very strange. You say you're here sight seeing, but you're part of the resistance as well. I want the truth." The king said, his voice turning from kind to fierce.

"The…the truth?" Jesse started to stutter.

"Yes, who are you really."

"This is Melanie Dockel." Jesse pointed at the little girl, "And this is Cassandra Alexandra." Her finger moved toward Cassandra. "And I'm Jesse."

"What's your last name."

"I don't have a last name." She said, ashamed to admit it to him.

"It is the last name of your parents." The king snapped.

"I never knew my parents. It was always me, my brother and the elder."

"State your business here." The king ordered. Jesse looked at Cassandra with pleading eyes, begging for her to think of a way for the to get out of the mess they were in. "If you refuse, I'll have my guards extract the information from you. And last time I checked, they enjoyed interrogating women. Sometimes, after they've gathered all the information they were looking for, they keep the women around just a little longer for some nightly games."

"Me and Raphael come from another world." Cassandra started to explain to the king. "We're here tracking a pair of spirit swords of great demonic energy. We think they were created in this world and that Split Rock has the answers to the questions we have about the swords. Jesse joined us in hopes of finding Conner Sekai since he seemed fascinated in the swords as well. And we were hoping that you'd grant us access to Split Rock."

"Denied." The king quickly answered as he sipped his glass of wine.

"But these swords are as much of a threat to your kingdom as Conner is! You have to understand."

"Conner is no threat to my kingdom. I rule almost half of this continent with a mighty army composed of highly skilled gunmen and powerful wizards. To top things off, we have electrical barriers protecting the continent from his shadowstalkers. And I'll be damned if he manages to slip a boat pass my superior navy. Might I mention that my military is the most advance military in the world. So what if he owns half of the world. As long as he's no threat to me, I couldn't give a damn. To be honest, I was even thinking about branching to other continents. Take over some of his territory."

"Don't you even care about the other countries? They're being taken over one by one, and the people are being forced into slavery." Jesse quickly took over Cassandra's argument.

"So what? I do the same thing. It's people like you that don't understand the true beauty about power. When you have it, use it to gain even more power. Besides, who cares if people are being forced into slavery. People who are not Syr born blood are only good for one to two things. Beautiful women for the obvious reasons, and everyone else as slaves. Without slaves, we'd have to pay our workers to build roads, work the arena and other physically exhausting tasks."

A lustful gleam from the king's eye caught Cassandra's attention. Quickly, she bolt upright from her chair, "Your highness, if I may be so bold to say, but now I see your true colors, and I don't like them. The only reason you were nice to us was because you were curious about why we were here. But when it comes down to it, you're exactly like Conner. Power, wealth, land. That's all that matters to you."

"My my, beauty and brains." The king said as several guards entered the dining room. "Tell me, have you ever been bedded?"

"What? I'm still a virgin you sick pervert!"

"I'd watch your tongue if I were you. I'm giving you a chance of a lifetime. Imagine being one of my personal toys. This isn't an offer I've given to very many girls."

"Please, don't insult me."

The king snapped his fingers as guards entered the room, "I don't like your attitude. Perhaps we should put you on the auction during the competition. Yes, that's a very good idea. I'm sure you'll make some rich noble very happy."

"I'm not anyone's property!" Cassandra shouted at the king.

"Seize her!" He shouted as two guards quickly pounced on Cassandra. "You!" The king looked at one of the guards nearest him, "Escort these two to their room and have some guards posted at their door. I want round-the-clock surveillance." The king pointed at Melanie and Jesse while Cassandra was literally being carried away.

"What do you want with us?" Jesse stood up from her chair only to find a pair of strong hands grab her by the shoulder.

"Simple really. You're going to tell me everything you know about Conner's army and these swords you mentioned. If Conner is interested in them, then they must be extremely powerful."

"I don't know anything about Conner's army or the swords."

"Unfortunately for you my dear, I don't believe you. Take them away. I'll be there shortly to interrogate them personally. As for their male companion, find him! If what that girl said is true, he may hold some information we need about these so called swords."

-------------

Raphael strolled through the streets, both hands in his pockets. "Siegfried, what is it that you saw?" His eyes glanced around, looking at the various people in the streetlamp lit streets. When he looked up, he could barely see the stars on how bright the lamps were around the city. Several buildings were open, advertising their business with large boards with lights over them to make them visible.

"Such a strange world this is. Light coming from strange looking instruments. Then again, I guess nothing should surprise me after seeing that barrier of lightning. A horseless coach?" He watched a vehicle drive by. Though it was slow and noisy, the fact that nothing was pulling it made him admire it with awe.

"There he is!" He heard a voice. Curious to see who they were talking about, he turned his head to see three guards running toward him with halberds in their hands. "Halt! You're under arrest!" The guard shouted. He ignored the fact that they could be talking about him and turned back around. Before he even took four steps, all three guards surrounded him with their halberds aimed at him.

"What part of halt did you not understand?" The guard in front of him growled with irritation.

"Pardon me, but why am I under arrest? For missing dinner with the king?" Raphael folded both arms across his chest.

"You're under arrest for the suspicion of holding vital information." The guard informed. "Now, we'd like you to unarm yourself and lay down on the ground nice and slow."

"I don't know. I haven't had a good work out in the past few days and you look like a physically fit training dummy." Raphael drew his rapier.

"I'll make you regret those words!" The guard thrust his halberd at Raphael's throat. In the blink of an eye, Raphael moved out of the Halberd's path and caught the guard in the jaw with his rapier's finger guard. Before the guard struck the ground, another guard thrust his halberd at Raphael. Quick on his toes, Raphael jumped to the side, barely missing the tip of the halberd as it sliced the side of his jacket. The sound of a whistle and several footsteps coming toward him caught his attention.

"Well monsieur, as much as I love parties and get-togethers, your foul breath is truly unbearable. So I'll be taking my leave." He insulted the guard as he quickly turned around and dash away. A rifle shot off in the nearly empty city streets, pain entered his left leg as he took a step and tumbled to the ground. Tucking his left arm near his body, he landed and rolled to a crouching position. Looking back, he could see half a dozen guards in close pursuit, one was holding a smoking rifle. "Shit."

He dove down an alleyway and climbed the first fire escape he saw. Dragging his wounded leg up the tiresome stairs, hoping to put some distance between him and his pursuers fast. Pain flared in his left arm when he reached for the railing. He had been so focused on getting away, he barely even heard his pursuers or the gunshot as he continued to climb. "Damn, they're closing in fast." As he ran with a limp, he came to the side of the building and saw his once chance to get away, the rope of a banner running across the street to another equally tall building.

Taking Flambert in his left hand, he held the rope with his right as he freed it from the building with a quick swipe. With a quick mental prayer and a few curses, he swung downward and over the street, letting go when he was closest to the concrete paved road and rolled several times violently. Picking Flambert up with his right hand, he pushed himself back onto his feet and dizzily stumbled forward.

"Relax, we'll get you to safety." A small woman cloaked in blue stepped from a shady alleyway with large, muscular man behind her. He approached the French doctor and with his large, powerful hands, picked him up and carried him into the alleyway.

-------------

"You sure about this sir? The king plans to auction her off on the next competition." A guard asked as he and his superior lead Cassandra down the dungeon hallway.

"Heh, as much as I'd love to have some fun with her. She's off limits to us. But that still doesn't mean we can't make her life a living hell. And what's worse than having to spend the next few nights with the demon that destroyed Krena?" They stopped at a cell door. Siegfried leaning against the wall on the other side of the cell. "Hey demon, we brought you a visitor. Why don't you show her your true form." The guard snickered.

"Go to hell." Siegfried's cold voice caused the lower ranked guard to take a step back in fear.

"I'm sorry, but you don't have a choice as long as that collar is on your neck." The higher ranked guard pulled a rectangular device out of his pocket and pointed it at Siegfried. With the touch of a button, Siegfried roared with pain as he dropped to his knees and placed his left hand on his right arm.

"Nooo!" The right side of his shirt exploded as the shoulder expanded, the skin changed to a grossly light brown hue. The arm started to swell up as the skin tone changed, the hand deformed to that of a claw as he grew and hardened. "You bastard!" He suddenly shot up and charged the door, slamming a clawed fist into the cell bar.

"Heh, temper, temper. These bars are made from a very strong alloy and reinforced with a hardening enchantment. You wouldn't even be able to dent them if you had use of your demonic strength. Just be glad I allowed you to have your true form demon." The guard smirked as he pressed another button. Pain enveloped his entire body as his legs suddenly grew weak, forcing him to hit his knees and grab hold of the bars as he tried to keep himself from screaming.

"What's wrong? Lost control over your powers? Can't contain all of that built up energy? It hurts doesn't it? Your very own energy, tearing your body apart inside and out, desperately trying to escape. Pathetic." The guard hit another button to relieve Siegfried of his torment.

"Throw her in there." He unlocked the cell door as the lower rank guard shoved Cassandra inside. The higher ranked guard slammed the door shut and glanced at Siegfried, "Have fun with your playmate, demon. Because in a few days your head will be on a pike in front of the city's fountain. Come on," He looked at his subordinate, "it's about time to put Drake through his evening torment."

As soon as the two guards were out of sight, Cassandra dropped to her knees beside Siegfried and placed a hand on his back, "Siegfried! Are you…"

"Stay back!" He shouted as he rose to his feet and ran to the other side where his cloak was resting on the bed. "Please…I beg of you. Don't look at me." He picked up his cloak and threw it over his body so all she could see was his face.

"What are you so scared of?" She moved to where was and stood over him. Slowly, she descended to her knees so she could be at eyes level with him. A tender, scared hand reached for his human shoulder and clasp the cloak.

"Don't." She heard him say, but from the tone in his voice, she knew he wasn't going to stop her. Most of the cloak fell backwards, but part of it was caught on his deformed shoulder. Gently she removed the cloak from his deformed shoulder and let the rest of it fall backwards. She scanned over his chest as to what he was hiding. Ripped shirt? No. Deformed skin breast? No. Bandages? No. Hand…? She noticed that he hadhisleft hand over the area underneath the bandages where the shirt was missing, hiding what he didn't want her to see.

_His hand...but how can this be?Unlike the rest of his body, it's human._She placed a gloved hand on his own. "Siegfried, please…"

"I…don't want you to view me any different. I want you to keep viewing me as a demon. It makes it easier on me when people do." He informed her.

"How do you know that I don't view you as a human?" She asked him in a sincere, yet gentle voice.

"Excluding Father Prometheus, everyone I have ever met has viewed me as a demon."

"But what if I don't view you as a demon, but as…"

"…a human." He said, trying to finish her sentence.

"No." She corrected him. She could've sworn she saw hurt in his eyes, but even if it truly was there, it quickly disappeared. "I see you not as a demon, not as a human, but as Siegfried Schtauffen. And there is no greater way to see somebody than to see them as the person they are on the inside."

Moments passed as she waited for his response. "Take off your gloves." He finally told her. With a simple nod, she removed both of her gloves and sat on the bed. He removed his hand and grab hers and placed it on his side that his hand once covered, allowing her to feel the secret he didn't want anyone else to know.

"Human skin…" She said to herself, "May I?" She asked as he gave her a simple nod. She ripped the side of his shirt so asthey could pull it over his head and off his body. "Your body…it's human." Her fingers trailed over his right breast, down one of the demon veins than trailed into his left, human breast. The way the skin started to disfigure as it went from human to demon made her see why they never saw him without his armor. He didn't want her to see the man under the beast.

He turned his head away from her, "I know." A cold draft of wind blew through the barred window and into the cell, causing Cassandra to shiver like a child on a winter night. "It's chilly tonight. You should cover up and go to bed." He said as they stood up. He walked around her and sat down against the wall beside the bed.

"What about you?" She asked while glancing in his direction.

"I'll be fine." He lied.

She got on the bed and under the covers, her head rested on the pillow as her eyes stayed glued on her cellmate. "Siegfried."

"hmm?"

"There's nothing to be ashamed of."

"I'm…not ashamed."

"Then what is it?"

"I just don't want people to see how much of me is still human underneath."

Her head shook in disagreement, "It's because you don't see yourself as a human…"

"I…"

"You see yourself as a monster. But you're no monster." She said, closing her eyes and started to fall asleep.

_Cassandra_, He glanced in her direction, a hand combed through her hair.

"That…feels…good." She responded sleepily.

I wish I was a strong as you.

------------

"There you go." The doctor said as Raphael sat up on the bed. "You'll be sore for a couple of days, but you'll be fine. You might want to use a cane to help you walk until then."

"I've been through worse." Raphael got off the bed and almost stumbled as pain flared into his leg again.

"I'd take the doctor's advice and use a cane. Rest wouldn't hurt either." The woman cloaked in blue suggested.

"I'm a doctor myself, so I know that I should rest and try to heal. But right now there's some people who need my help, and I'm going to help them."

"Such admirable notion, but how do you suggest doing that?" She asked him as he walked toward the door with the large man from before blocking it.

"I don't know, but I'll find a way. I have to because they'd do the same for me." He said as the large man moved out of the way, "Correction. One would save me, one I'm not too sure, the child is incapable of saving me, and the last one wouldn't save me even if I was drowning and someone offered him a reward."

"Sounds like you have a very promising group of friends." She said with a small, amusing laugh.

"They're not friends. Besides, the main reason I'm doing this is because I can't accomplish my mission without their help."

"Then join us and we'll help you rescue your friends." The woman suggested.

"As tempting as your offer sounds, you give me no reason to believe you."

"Forgive me. I haven't quite introduce myself." She removed the blue hat with the blue, see through veil dangling from it and dropped it to the ground. "My name is Princess Louise Miranda De'Levell, leader of the Blue Crowns and heir to the throne of Windell. We are one of the many Anti-Syr Factions throughout the continent."

The large, muscular man cleared his throat before speaking, "I am Prince Derrick R. Courtz, leader of the Courtz Swords and second heir to the throne of Meinz. Also a Anti-Syr Faction. May I ask why were the guards after you?"

"Withholding information. The other man, however, was arrested under a different charge." He watched as Louise walked over to the table and picked up a large notebook.

"For making an act of war, I know. Unlike the Courtz Swords, we have a couple of spies inside the main castle. I know it wasn't your friend who destroyed Krena, but the king doesn't care. The king sees demons as crowd pleasers…"

"…and what better way than to execute a demon in front of the public." Raphael let out a sigh, "I already figured that part out. Where I'm from, people are executed in public to please the populous."

"They'll do more than execute your friend. They'll turn him into a game. Every warrior who advances through enough rounds get a shot at him, and the one who kills him gets a prize. They did the same thing to my brother four years ago." Derrick explained.

"Thank you for your information. Now if you don't mind, I'll be taking my leave now. I still have to look over the area for any future planning."

"You're talking about rescuing your friends, we're talking about destroying the arena altogether and assassinating the king."

"Please, any help we can get would be appreciated. The king, he ignores his people's needs and holds these games to take the mind's of his people away from the real problem. Hunger, disease, the Black Army, things any decent king would try to resolve. Not only that, but he conquered most of the continent and forced our people into slavery!" Said Louise.

"Sorry, but anyone desperate for help could tell such stories." He told her. Next thing he knew, she grabbed him by the hand and dragged him through the door. "Where are you taking me?"

"You want proof, right?" They moved through the run down building at a fast, walking pace. Members of both factions littered the hallway, talking with each other like there was nothing out of the ordinary. The bands on their arm was his only clue that they were members of the faction, hence, none of them was wearing armor or carrying weapons. They traveled down stairs after stairs, floors after floors until they finally reached the bottom.

"What you're about to see is Syr's true side. The north side of the city, where we found you, is one of the few areas taken care of by the king. But even then, the hospital is over ran by those who are sick. But here on the east side, where the less than rich live, things aren't so bright. Food is too high for most to afford on a regular basis and there are no hospitals. Doctor Fran is one of three doctors who work out here, and even then that isn't enough."

As they stepped through the main door of the building, they found themselves on a very narrow streets. People lined the streets, all were in dirty, raggedy old clothing. All of them looked like they haven't eaten in several days. Beside him, laying against the building, was a child. A little girl to be exact. Her eyes were open, staring expressionlessly into the dark sky. Her body was motionless as he knelt over her and waved a hand over her eyes, hoping for a response. There was no response so he pulled his glove off his right hand and placed two fingers on the side of her neck. No pulse.

"This is awful." He manually closed her eyes with his hand. "How can people live through these conditions?"

"They don't." Louise answered. About ten yards away, a man reached into his jacket and pulled out an apple and suddenly, five strangers leapt on him with crude weapons in an attempt to steal the apple away.

"These people need food and doctors."

"That's what happens when the taxes are high. Food becomes almost unaffordable and medical treatment is nearly unheard of. If Dr. Fran and the others weren't kind enough to take care of the sick for free, I don't know where we'd be."

He stood up and slid his glove back onto his hand, "Why don't you refuse to pay taxes?"

"And be taken to prison? It's worse in prison. At least here we're not tortured on a daily basis or used for arena games. I even heard a rumor once that prisoners are being used to conduct tests. One out of every twenty prisoner with athree month's sentence survives. Tell me, would you risk odds like that?"

-------------

The door flew open as several guards entered the room, rifles stood at attention as they stood on both sides of the door. With his head held high and his red robe dragging behind him, the king stepped through the door with a picture in his hand. "Just as I suspected."

"What is it now?" Jesse glared at the king venomously.

"Tell me, do you have any siblings?" The king asked as he approached the young woman sitting in the chair in the far corner.

"What's it to you?" She snapped at him.

"Just answer my question. Do you have any siblings? Lets say…a brother perhaps?"

"Yes. One brother."

"What is his name?"

"Dyne."

"Ah, then it is as thought!" The king stood in front of her and placed his hands on her shoulders."You are my long lost daughter!"

"What the hell are you talking about? I'm not your daughter!" Jesse stood up and pushed him away before moving away from him.

"Hmm, so you really don't know who you are."

"Humph, as if you'd know."

"You are Princess Jesse Dana Syr, second heir to the throne. You were born nineteen years ago and your twentieth birthday will be in thirty days if I remember correctly."

"You're lying. If I were your daughter I'd shoot myself. There's no way my father would do that to my friends!"

"Your brother is Prince Dyne Runner Syr, future king of Syr. I can't remember his birthday too well but he is approximately twenty four years old. Sixteen years ago you and your brother both went missing." The king laid the picture on the bed, "I want you to look at that picture and tell me who you really are." The king walked to the door and stopped, "You'll see for yourself that you really are my missing daughter."

When he left, Jesse walked to the bed with the aged old memory and picked it up. Her eyes scanned over the frame, a finger touched the picture of her older brother. She could barely tell if that was her because the girl had long hair, but the boy looked remarkably like her older brother…just younger. "It can't be true. No, he can't be my father! Dyne," She dropped the picture and hit her knees, "I wish you were here to tell me the truth."


	12. Freedom

A/N: Sorry it took so long! But there has been many reasons why it took as long as it did. One of'em was my crappy 8 year old computer. But luckily I got a new computer over Christmas. 

**Chapter 12: Freedom**

Swoosh, a giant axe flew past his head. With one final punch, his claw sent the man flying back and into the stone wall of the arena. "Pathetic." Siegfried spat on the dirt covered ground. With soul piercing eyes, he turned toward the king and snarled with disgust. Then, he turned toward Cassandra who was in a dressed in a very revealing thong and bra. There were many other girls, but as long as she was up there, he barely noticed them."

"Finish him." The king commanded with a thumbs down.

Finish him yourself."Siegfried snapped back as loud as he could. Searing pain flared through out his body as his powers suddenly went out of control. With his human hand, he tried a desperate attempt to rip the collar off of his neck, but to no avail. When the pain finally cease, he pushed himself back to his feet.  
"Demon, you had better learn your place. Without your armor, our bullets will pierce the human parts of your flesh. And as long as that collar is on your neck, you are at my mercy. Now bring out the next gladiator!"

----------

"It's show time." Dyne said as he signaled Derrick with a hand gesture. In rapid session, him and three other soldiers cloaked in brown moved up a flight of stairs and bashed the door in. Before either of the two soldiers could make a sound, Dyne flew in there with sword drawn and slit the first guy's throat as a dagger penetrated the seconds.  
"Derrick, what's your status." He spoke into a walkie-talkie he kept on his side.  
"Tower number two is secured and our snipers are getting into position. Louise is taking her small squad to the women who are to be sold in the auction later on" Derrick answered.  
"Good. How's Raphael doing" Dyne questioned.  
"Raphael is about to start his match" Derricked peered through his scope and looked around the arena. "The others are now in position as well."  
"Roger that. I'm not moving into position. All units, we act when Raphael gives the signal."

----------

"Ladies and gentlemen, our next gladiator has traveled far and wide in pursuit of a worthy challenger. Welcome him! The slayer of demons, the Masked Slayer." The announcer screamed as two large wooden doors opened. Raphael in disguised stepped through with a spear in his right hand.

"You've got to be kidding me." Siegfried sighed in embarrassment. The disguised Raphael stopped within four feet of the Azure Knight, he spun his spear and stabbed it in the ground with a manly pose, making the crowd cheer even louder than before. "The Masked Slayer? Heh, it's almost as pathetic as your outfit Raphael." Siegfried.  
"Siegfried, we're here to rescue you. However, there are two things I want from you"  
"And that is?" Siegfried eyed him suspiciously.  
"Your words, I thought about them and understand what you were saying. But I want to know why…why tell me something like that? No longer can I pursue Soul Edge for my own desire" Raphael said, knowing full well that his dreams for Amy will no longer come true.  
"I told you so you wouldn't have any regrets if you chose to continue you quest"  
"I see. Now, for my second request. You are to fight with everything you got. I want to fight you with no interruptions and without this ring." Raphael held up his left hand to flash a golden ring, "This way we know who is strongest."

----------

Cassandra stared at Siegfried and the mysterious Masked Slayer, wondering what the two were talking about. As soon as the Masked Slayer lowered his hand, the spear in right hand thrust forward. Siegfried moved a bit his right in order to dodge the spear. With highly trained skill, he grabbed the spear's shaft with his left hand while pulling the Masked Slayer closer and lunging his right fist forward. In one powerful blow, the spearman went flying across the arena.

Siegfried snapped his stolen spear over his knee and threw it on the ground with a smirk. "Yes! Go Siegfried! You can beat that man!" She cheered. The challenger rose to his feet and withdrew a rapier from his side. The challenger raised hisright hand to quiet the crowd, though only half of the crowd complied.

"I demand this demon to be given his weapon. With this sword I'll be unmatched. I want a challenge and I'm sure the crowd wants a match!" Raphael yelled. The crowd cheered even louder than before. The king stood up to analyze the situation. If the crowd approved this much, then he'd have no choice but to accept. He pointed to the gatekeeper inside the arena and gave a thumbs up. In a matter of seconds, the gate opened as a slave ran out dragging Faust across the dirt floor. The sword landedby his feet as the slave turned around and ran to the gate, screaming in fear. The Azure Knight picked up the sword and swung it once to get a feel for it.

----------

"Let's begin the real match." Raphael smirked as he charged forward. Quickly he dove to the side to dodge Faust. Quickly getting back to his feet, he stabbed his rapier forward only to strike a repositioned zweihander. A punch from Siegfried's free hand came over the sword and struck Raphael in the shoulder, causing the man to skid back several feet.  
Raphael charged forward once again, gaining the up hand using his speed. The sound of steel on steel rang throughout the arena as Raphael assaulted Siegfried with blow after blow. However, Faust was like a gigantic shield if turned right, and with Siegfried's strength, he easily maneuver the sword in any position he needed, offensively or defensively.

As if time slowed, Siegfried watched the rapierpierce through thedeep crack in his sword and slither its way to him. _Got you_, he tossed the sword tohis left, causing a firmed gripped Raphael to stumble as his sword plunged with Siegfried's. In the blink of an eye, the masked Raphael found himself being grabbed from behind and slammed into the ground. Then, in a true feet of strength, he wastossedclear across the arena and onto the ground in a violent roll into the wall. "Seems like you"  
Siegfried picked up his sword and stabbed it into the ground so he could remove the rapier from its' blade. The crowd cheered as he picked up Faust and rested the gigantic sword on his shoulder and boasting his victory over his opponent by pointing the rapier at him. "Now finish him off!" The king ordered.  
"I refuse!" Siegfriedyelled out his refusal.  
"Comply with my order or face dire consequences demon." The king sneered at Siegfried.  
In a show of defiance, Siegfried tossed Raphael his sword before turning to the king and lifting Faust off his shoulder and pointing it at the tyrant, "You're a coward who hides behind guards and walls of stone. You're too afraid to come down here and face me like a man"  
"You wretched fool! Gatekeeper! Release Drake!" The roared while jumping from his seat. The crowd gasped in unison.  
"Drake?" Raphael said to himself as he ran over to Siegfried's side. "Please tell me Drake is the name of a poodle"  
"Somewhere, someplace, someone has named their poodle Drake. Here, however, I don't think that is the case." He and Raphael turned toward another large set of doors, a set made out of pure iron and have never been opened in between or during his matches. A loud, fearsome roar could be heard as the doors slowly opened.

------------

_ Raphael, Siegfried…no…,_ Cassandra went pale in fright.  
"Don't worry, they'll be fine." The girl to her right whispered. "Trust me. My friends are going to put a stop to this real soon."

------------

"Funny, I always thought such beasts were told by the church to spread fear of Satan and bards to entertain." Raphael let out a small laugh full of irony.  
"Nevertheless, it's real and we're its' next meal unless we do something"  
"I guess it's now our never." Raphael reached into his vest and pulled out a flare gun and fired it into the sky. In a matter of seconds, bullets whizzed through the air as guards around the arena dropped in pools of blood.

------------

"Get down!" The girl who previously talked to Cassandra ordered as she stood up. Two of the guards suddenly dropped with red holes in their head. A man in a brown cloaked appeared with a sword in his right hand and a small scabbard containing a dagger in his left.  
"Lady Louise, your dagger." The man said as he tossed the lady her dagger. As soon as she caught the dagger, a halberd was thrust in her direction. In one quick motion, she withdrew the dagger and redirected the weapon with precise skill. Another guard appeared out of nowhere and pounced on her, restraining her slim form with his superior might. Cassandra stood up and grabbed an unsuspecting guard by the back of his shirt and tripped him over her foot. With anger in her eyes, the heel of her red sandal slammed into the stunned guy's throat.

----------

The beast, a powerful four legged winged green dragon, roared once again, revealing it's sharp white teeth. "Feed on all who oppose me." The king pressed a button on his remote, causing the Drake's collar to beep for a bit. The dragon, in a fit of rage, stormed toward the two swordsmen. Raphael dove between the legs and then rolled to avoid the tail while Siegfried leapt up and latched onto the first thing he could, the dragon's horn that stood out of the back of its' head.  
Violently the dragon shook its head, attempting to throw off the unsuspected nuisance. "Hold still you damn dragon." Siegfried growled as he held on for dear life.  
Raphael ran to the front so he could face the dragon, "Siegfried, hang on"  
"Easier said than done!" Siegfriedgrowled as he brought up his left fist and punched the creature in the eye.  
"Use your sword fool. Your human muscles won't harm that thing!" Raphael yelled at him.  
_I know…but this creature is being forced to fight like we are. I have no right to end its' life._ Siegfried mentally kicked himself at his predicament. His old self would've plunged the sword deep into the creatures eye, but that man is dead. And will stay dead if he has anything to do with it.

----------

"Get off me!" Cassandra commanded as she stomped on her restrainer's foot and then kneed him in the groin.  
"You bitch!" The man shouted in anger as he brought up his knife. In an instant, blood splattered from his forehead as his body dropped back limply.  
"Cassandra, you okay?" Dyne said as he stood beside her with his rifle.  
"I'm fine, but we have to help Siegfried!" She expressed her concern.  
Dyne scanned the arena crowd, "The king has the remote to the collars, we find him, we find the key to stopping that dragon." Damn, this wasn't part of the plan…there! He spotted the king being escorted by two guards. "Louise!" He turned around as his ally stabbed as soldier in the neck, "Catch!" He tossed her his rifle.

"I'm going after the king, you lead a squad to the prison and fear the slaves." He ordered while drawing his sword.  
"Alright. You two! Come with me." She ordered two of her soldiers"  
"Come on Cassandra." He turned toward his fleeing father.  
"I'm sorry, but I have to help Siegfried." She shook her head and turned toward the arena's pit.

----------

"Gah." Siegfried groaned as he was thrown from the dragon and into a wall. A loud roar was made as the dragon approached him at full speed. He stood up to his feet and stabbed his sword into the ground and balled his claw into a fist. A powerful shockwave was sent throughout the arena as the dragon was knocked off its feet. with a single blow."Raphael!" He shouted to his partner.  
The Frenchman ran over to the collar, and with a single thrust, pierced the programming box, causing it to explode into many pieces. Siegfried walked over to the downed dragon's snout and looked at it dead in the eyes, fear was the main emotion he could see. Fear he knew all too well, fear he had seen and caused. The dragon was scared it was going to die. Looking at his deformed claw, remembering the pain he had caused others with it, pain he could no longer bringing to the innocent. "Get out of here." He whispered.  
He wasn't to sure if the dragon heard, so he glared back into the eyes of the dragon and growled out his command, "I said get out of here dammit. You're free!" He threw his left hand into the air and pointed. The dragon stood up and let out a roar of gratitude before spreading its' magnificent wings and flying into freedom's blue sky.  
"Siegfried!" He heard a familiar feminine voice. As soon as he turned around, his arms went up to catch a fall girl.  
"Cassandra?" He looked at her in confusion while setting her onto the ground gentle. "What's going"  
"I'm not too sure on the details. But Dyne's here and I think he's leading a revolution."

----------

"Get back here!" Dyne shouted as one of the king's guard turned toward him with a rifle in hand. A bloody gasp was made as a flying dagger stuck the man in the throat. The second guard turned with his rifle and took aim. Before either of them knew what happened, a bullet caught the guard in the chest.  
"You're free to go." Dyne heard Derrick's voice on his walkie-talkie.  
He grabbed hold of it and brought it to his mouth, "Derrick, shoot my father in the leg"  
A gunfire was heard over the walkie-talkie as the king suddenly dropped to the ground holding his leg. Putting the communication device back, he approached the king with his sword in hand. "You bastard. All my life you've done nothing but caused pain. It didn't matter if the world was facing a crisis against Conner, all you could think of was power"  
"Listen to me. You're making a big mistake! I can make you rich beyond your wildest dreams! Oh please don't kill me!" The king pleaded.  
"Father, you are not fit to rule!" Dyne spoke as he dived on top of his father and pressed his sword to his chest.  
"Dyne!" The king looked in horror.  
"Father, why? All the pain you've caused…tell me your reason!" Dyne yelled out hisfatheras a confused and scaredchild would've.  
"After your mother died, I wanted to give you and Jesse everything. My country didn't have everything, but when I had the world in my grasp, I knew I would. But when you and Jesse ran away, my determination grew. I knew that if I had the world, there was no place for you to hide and I'd be reunited with my children." The king explained.  
Tears started to pour from Dyne's eyes, "Jesse…forgive me." The king's eyes shot wide open in terror when he heard those words.

-------------

"Come on you two. We have to get up there with the others." Raphael suggested as a guard's corpse landed in front of him.  
"I agree. Cassandra," Siegfried glanced at her, "hang on." He wrapped his human arm around her slim form and leapt on to the area with the bleachers. When he landed, he glanced all around to assess the situation. Noticing that the guards were dropping their weapons and raising their hands.  
"What's going on?" Cassandra pondered out loud, knowing full well that Siegfried didn't know the answer.  
"I don't know; but if we find Dyne, maybe he'll shead some light onthis confusion." Siegfried said, hinting a bit of worry in his voice.  
"There!" Cassandra pointed to a set of steps on their right. Dyne was walking down the steps with tears in his eyes and blood dripping from his sword. In his hand was a red robe, dragging a familiar looking corpse with it.  
"Is that?" Cassandra said already knowing the answer. The corpse…was the king.

TBC…


	13. To Save Thy Enemy

**A/N: I plan on adding more SC characters in the next chap or two who'll probably take up a more permanent residence in the story. Right now I know who will be in the story for plot. However, if you have a favorite you'd like to see make a cameo or even have some role, leave the name in a review.**

**Chapter 13: To Save Thy Enemy**

"Not much farther." Siegfried reassured his companions while pulling himself up another feet, gripping as hard as he could to the rocky surface. _Why couldn't there be a trail like all the other holy places?_ He grumbled as he felt Cassandra's arms tighten around his neck. "I have to breath you know!"

"I know…but I hate heights!" Cassandra protested. Suddenly she felt Siegfried's body jerk when he foot slipped. "Ahhh!" She grasped even tighter.

"Dammit Nightmare! Must I remind you to watch where you are stepping? Those pebbles you knock off fall in my direction!" He heard Raphael complain.

"Yeah, I got your pebble." Siegfried grumbled under his breath.

"Siegfried, can you please hurry up and get there? I don't feel safe hanging hundreds of feet above the ground." He heard Cassandra beg, the once lively girl trembled with fear when it came to heights.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure you're safe."

-------------

_Four days ago…_

Knock. Knock. "Come in." Siegfried spoke. The door swung open as the new king, Dyne, stepped into the room.

"Your request has been approved, however, I myself have a request of my own. I would appreciate it if my sister stayed until you came back." Dyne said locking eyes with Siegfried.

Siegfried glanced away and stared into the mirror at his deformed claw, trailing the path where the human flesh ended and the demon began, "I understand. However, the decision isn't mine. It is your sister's after all."

"I've already talked to her. She's extremely upset with me at the moment. But right now, I need her help here." Dyne said approaching Siegfried.

"So my hunch was correct. You're going to lead your kingdom to war against Conner." Siegfried said.

"Yes, but first I have to get to the elder and relocate his people here. In order for me to do that, Jesse has to remain here and rally the troops." Dyne clinched his fist, "The elder will die soon if I don't go. Conner's army has grown stronger when I last left. Too strong for the elder to fight back properly."

Siegfried let out a small chuckle. "What's so funny?" Dyne growled, appalled by Siegfried's behavior.

"It's just that, I've never really thought I'd hear those words from a king. Back home, most kings care more about power and wealth, not about people, especially those who live outside their own country. It's relieving to know someone with such power and influence to have such a kind heart." Siegfried grabbed his black shirt that laid neatly pressed on the dresser, "Forgive me for my rudeness Dyne, but I must step outside and get some fresh air."

"Is something wrong?" Dyne asked with a concerned expression.

"No." Siegfried said reassuming his human form and sliding the shirt back on. With a small bow, he walked pass the king and into grand hallway. Minutes passed as he strolled through the castle, his mind occupied with thoughts of the day and possible near future. Without realizing it, he had walked into castle's garden, his head tilted up and stared into the black sky, watching the stars shine their pure light throughout the deep sea called space.

"Father ,I know what I'm supposed to do, but how? How can I accomplish such a grand task?" Siegfried dropped to his knees, "I can't do it anymore. Not like this."

"Hmm, I've been wondering how long it'd take for you to lose your powers." Raphael stepped out from behind a statue and leaned against it with his arms folded across his chest.

"Raphael?" Siegfried jumped to his feet and spun toward his comrade, an open right hand held up, "I can still bring out the demon if you think I'm weak."

"Perhaps. But what makes Nightmare so powerful? Is it the nearly impenetrable skin of his arm? Is it his godlike strength?" Raphael gave a small laugh, "You and I both know that it's neither. It's the incredible demon powers that makes Nightmare one of the most powerful knights to reckon with. When we fought in the arena, your powers were already gone, weren't they?"

"You seem to be more fascinated than concern." Siegfried snapped.

"Fascinated indeed. It appears that Soul Calibur has weaken the link on your body that bind's Nightmare to you." Raphael said as removed himself from the statue and started to walk away. He stopped and looked over his shoulder, "By the way...have you told her?"

"Told her what?" Siegfried shot him a death glare.

"If you don't tell her soon, you might regret it. The way you look at her sometimes, it's just like reading a book."

"Damn Frenchman, mind your own business." Siegfried snapped in defense.

"Well masseur, the decision is yours. See you at dawn."

------------

_Present…_

"Humph, such a thorn to the eye." Raphael said disgusted with the large citadel that stood before them. A loud creek could be heard as the two enormous doors before them opened. All three warriors quickly placed their hands on their swords.

"The Azure Knight, Nightmare, I welcome you." Gilgamesh stepped through the doorway with his claymore in hand.

"Gilgamesh, I should've known that you were nearby." Siegfried growled.

"Ah, yes, I trust you did meet a one time employee of mine named Mr. Boyle." Gilgamesh smirked underneath his helmet's mask.

"He reminded me of you." Siegfried replied.

"Yes, his voice does resemble mine doesn't it. Now onto business." Gilgamesh said.

"Let me guess," Siegfried let out a sigh, "We have to defeat you if we plan on going any further."

"I could care less about the other two. Nightmare, my battle is with you and with you alone!"

"Fine. Raphael, Cassandra, go on without me." Siegfried gritted his teeth as his right arm and armor turned to that of Nightmare. "but…" He heard Cassandra protest. "I said go!"

"Come on!" Raphael grabbed Cassandra by her wrist and drug her pass Gilgamesh and into the citadel.

"Gilgamesh!" Nightmare charged forward as he heard the crimson knight yell his name.

"Die!" They yelled in unison as their blades swung forward and collided in a fearsome display of sparks.

-------------

Both swords of Soul Edge laid out on the alter, Conner on his knees in front forming mystical signs with his hands. "Soon Serena, the enchantress will be released and with my half of the Nevarious Crystal, I'll force her to tell me where the other half is."

A bright red light started to illuminate from the right sword while the blade had begun to pulse. "Yes, be free enchantress. Be free to become my slave!" Like sand in the wind, small red orbs of light shot out of the sword and started to spin around on top of the alter. Slowly a human shape started to take place. Then, in a blinding flash of light, a human girl appeared on top of the alter.

"At last I am free." The girl said.

"This woman must barely be in her twenties. There's no way she can be the demon, much less a powerful enchantress." Conner said in disbelief.

-------------

A strong gust of wind shot forth and circled the old priest Prometheus, "No! She can't be free. If she reunites with that demon, we are all doomed!"

"Father Prometheus?" The man to his right asked with concern.

"Codin, you better start praying to your gods." Prometheus turned to the man on his right.

"Father?" The man asked with confusion.

"Tell the priests that I am grateful to their kindness. They welcomed me with open arms and gave me a place to stay even though I was a catholic missionary. Now the time has come for me the leave. I'm sorry."

------------

Clank, clank, shink, swoosh, clank. Blow after blow, sword on sword, neither losing ground and neither gaining. "Got you!" Siegfried roared while spinning around swinging his sword.

"Over here!" Gilgamesh taunted as Siegfried struck a self image ice statue. "Sky's artic wind, encircle all who cross my path. Artic Prison!" Gilgamesh chanted as Siegfried was incased inside a large ice pillar. "How befitting of an ending." Gilgamesh sheathed his sword and started to walk back into the castle.

The sound of solid cracking caught his ears, "No way." Gilgamesh turned around to see the pillar crack all over. In a small burst of energy, shards of ice flew all over, releasing the imprisoned knight

"I don't have time to play with your little tricks. So get! Out! Of! My! Way!' " Siegfried charged the Crimson Knight.

"Fine, here's a taste of my favorite spell. Icy wind of death, surround my steel. Spiral Freeze Blade!" Gilgamesh chanted as icy wind started to spiral around the blade, threatening to freeze anything it touched. Siegfried swung his blade down and clashed blades with his opponent. "Watch as I shatter your blade." Gilgamesh threw Siegfried back and spun around, kicking the Azure Knight a couple feet back.

Siegfried glanced at his sword, taking note that a small area where his sword touched Gilgamesh's sword was frozen solid. "Seems like you came prepared." Siegfried lunged forward in a quick thrust. With a fast uppercut with his sword, Gilgamesh knocked the blade off course.

"Your sword seems…brittle." Gilgamesh smirked as Siegfried glanced over at the once frozen now missing chunk of his sword's blade.

"I don't have time for this." Siegfried latched his sword onto his back while resuming to his more agile human form.

"You don't stand a chance as a human!" Gilgamesh thrust his sword forward. With a quick step to the side, the sword swiftly traveled pass Siegfried, giving him the opening he predicted.

"Get" Siegfried grabbed him by his arm while transforming again and spun around, "off!" He let go, sending his rival off the edge and toward the unforgiving surface below.

His ears picked up words being spoken by the flying knight. "Humph, your magic may save you, but it won't be enough to save Conner."

--------------

"Speak up woman, where is the enchantress?" Conner demanded.

"My my, we are quite the noisy one. My name is Cecilia, and I am the enchantress you speak of." The woman spoke.

"What kind of fool do you take me as? I know my history. I know the enchantress is a soul stealing demon." The amulet around Conner's neck started to glow as two blade of pure energy formed in each hand.

"Demon? Me? Oh I see…" A sinister smile formed on the enchantress' lips. "You must be talking about Kynour."

His eyes shot open in shock as he turned around to see Serena standing there with a demon's claw sticking out of her chest. "Kynour…you're…"

"Hello Conner." Kynour withdrew her claw from her victim's back. A bluish green energy shot forth from the corpse and enveloped Kynour's claw.

"Now I get it. Kynour stole the souls while you used them to form the amulet. Humph, if I was a gambling man, I'd almost bet it wasn't the sword that was controlling demons." Conner pointed his left sword at the enchantress, "It was you."

"A smart one. Hmm, and a skilled one at that. Humans tend to be more difficult than demons to charm, but you seem like a possible candidate." The enchantress pointed to the ground and spoke two simple words. A ring of fire erupted from thin air as a flaming skeleton with silver armor appeared wielding twin swords.

"Inferno, attack!"

-------------

"Something's wrong." Raphael spoke his concern while ducking a skeleton's axe and catching it across the face with his rapier's guard.

"Huh? How can you tell?" Cassandra asked blocking a sword and spinning around to the back of her attacker and slashed through its' neck in one clean swipe.

"The undead, they're getting slower. Conner must be trying to reclaim as much as his amulet's power as he can. I don't like this." Raphael watched as rows of skeleton in front of him dropped into piles of bones and steel. "Come Cassandra, we must make haste."

---------------

"Your pet is weak." Conner taunted as he ducked a sword and parried the other sword with one hand while countering with the other. Inferno stepped back with a large gash in its armor and took a defensive stance. "Heh, your pet can only mimic Soul Edge's previous masters and opponents. Unfortunately I've already destroyed the pirate who owned that stance."

Conner dashed forward and swung his left sword lightly, knowing that it would be blocked. _Blocked. How easily predictable. Now here comes the counter. _He spun to the side to dodge Inferno's counter thrust and dropped into a sweeping kick, tripping the skeleton. "You're..huff…not so tough." He stood up trying to catch his breath. "What?"

He finally realized that the enchantress had been speaking mystical words during his entire fight with her pet. He turned toward her, eyes with fear as he saw a blue orb appear in front of her, floating about three feet off the floor.

------------

"He must be in that room!" Raphael said pointing to the second to last door down the hallway.

"You sure?" Cassandra questioned his judgment.

"Ahhhh!" Conner's voice echoed from the room.

"Damn, we're too late. I'm going ahead." Raphael said as the gold ring on his left hand started to glow. Air kicked up as he sped three times faster than his normal pace down the hall and came to a screeching halt when he neared the room, sliding several feet from the lost of traction due to the severely dust covered floor.

"Conner?" Raphael was stunned when his greatest enemy turned and stared at him, his eyes were turned completely blue and his face held only one expression, anger.

"Cecilia, your pet is quite cute. However, I don't think he'll be needing this anymore." Kynour said removing the amulet from Conner's neck, both energy swords in his hands vaporized immediately.

"Hmm, yes, I do have to say I agree with you. But he is defenseless without a weapon." Cecilia said while taking a thought pose.

"Cervantes is no longer using his weapons. He can have those." Kynour held out a hand as the twin Lethe swords in the corner levitated and shot forth into Conner's grasp.

"I don't know what's going on. But none of you shall walk out of here alive!" Raphael charged forward with his Rapier aimed at Kynour. He came to a sudden stop and flipped backwards as a sword swung down where he would've been had he continued his assault for a split second more.

"How do you like my pet?" Cecilia smiled as Inferno stood beside Conner and both took on Cervantes' stance.

"Four against one? Only a dog would stoop so low." Raphael insulted as he side stepped Inferno's right sword and brought his rapier's guard to its' jaw, causing the flaming being to stumble backwards and trip over Serena's corpse. Pain entered his right shoulder as Conner pierced his shoulder with the tip of the left Lethe. With his lightning reflexes, he parried the second assault and kneed Conner in the crouch before head butting him. As Conner took two step back, he closed the gap with a fierce thrust.

"What!" Raphael was shocked to find that Conner had managed to scissor the rapier between his own swords and redirected the thin blade up so it would miss its' target.

"Now break his toy!" Cecilia ordered as Conner swung out with his swords, breaking the rapier's blade in two. Raphael slightly adjusted his body to dodge attack after attack.

"Ugh…" Blood flew from Raphael's mouth as he felt Inferno's sword pierce through his back.

"Raphael!" A shield appeared from nowhere and slammed against Conner as a flying sword found its way into Inferno's chest. "Back away monster!" Cassandra leapt up and kicked the hilt of her sword to drive it further and knock the foul creature against the wall. She removed the bloody sword and let it fall to the ground as Raphael's legs went limp.

"Hold on. You're going to be ok." She lowered him to the floor.

"If only that fool of a knight were here. I can only fight against so many." Raphael coughed a bit more blood. A shadow covered the two as the Athens born girl looked up, her eyes turned to fright when the skeletal demon named Inferno raised his swords. Instantly the past started to flash before her eyes. _I'm going to die…here? No, I can't die. Move you fool! Move! But, I can't…I'm to scared too. Sister, Rothian, Siegfried. …Siegfried? Why am I thinking about him? I…_ Memories of Siegfried started to appear, some from their official meeting and their uneasy alliance to their time on the ship. _Siegfried…_

Steel exploded in front of her as Siegfried shattered Faust over Inferno, splintering the flaming being's armor and skeletal body. "Stay down!" He spun around and tossed the hilt of the broken sword into Conner, slamming the approaching man against the wall. "You too!" He ran up to Conner while turning into his demon form and, with one mighty blow, knocked the possessed villain through the wall.

"Siegfried! Raphael's hurt badly!" Cassandra pleaded.

"Put pressure on the wound and make sure he stays awake. I don't want to sound cold, but there are some more important tasks at hand." Siegfried glared at the enchantress. "Should've guessed that you were the soul stealing demon, Kynour. And I take it this broad is the real enchantress I've heard about." Siegfried said positioning himself between the evil duo and his allies.

"You surely don't expect to find a demon to possessas much control over mana as a human?" Cecilia chimed like an innocent girl. The way she talked…it reminded him of some snotty noble girls he knew back when he was little.

"I'm surprised you never caught onto the truth. You knew about my power long before Conner did." Kynour said stretching out her wings before hovering a few inches over the floor.

"If I knew about your little planet's history back then, I probably would've. But enough about that, I'm going to put you back where you belong." Siegfried threatened.

"I will not be sealed back into the sword I created." Cecilia turned around and grabbed both swords and tossed them into the air. Two beams of energy shot from the amulet in Kynour's grasp, disintegrating both swords with little effort. "Now that that's taken care of, you are to return to me my pet."

"Foolish woman, I will not be bound by your spell again!" Siegfried charged forward with his claw reared back. "Uf!" He was knocked back by a beam from the amulet. He quickly flipped to his feet only to be struck by another beam, however this one seemed to be red..

"My…body…what's…happening?" The light enveloped his body, trying to absorb itself into his flesh. His body was completely paralyzed. A strange red org shot forth from Cecilia and absorbed itself into his body, creating a hypnotic tune that kept echoing submissive commands in his ears and mind.

"It feels just like the old times doesn't it? For years you've fought this battle with me. The only victim I've ever had to put up such a strong resistance." Cecilia walked up to Siegfried, "But like many before you, I'll eventually win the war over your body. However, now that I'm free, I can do with you as I please. Hmm, and your cute. Too cute to send out to fight battles for me." She leaned forward and kissed him full on the lips.

The red light was thrown from Siegfried's body as the enchantress jumped back, barely dodging Siegfried's punch. "Fine, have it your way. Kynour, destroy them! Start with the girl and their wounded companion first."

"I've been waiting to hear those words." Kynour smirked as she pointed the amulet Cassandra's direction. A blast of energy shot forth, trailing towards the defenseless duo. Siegfried quickly threw himself in front of the beam, shielding the others from the deadly blast of light. "Hmm, he's stronger than I thought." They two ancient evils watched with interest as Siegfried held his ground against the beam even though the pain was nearly unbearable.

"I…will not lose." He noticed that his breastplate and left gauntlet started to crack.

"Kynour, why don't you show him just how much half of the amulet is capable of by destroying him completely." Cecilia suggested.

"I was waiting for you to say that." Kynour agreed as the beam expanded and intensified. His eyes widen as the beam started to expand to the point where his body wouldn't be able to block all of it completely. "Nightmare…for once in my life I'm asking for your help. Help me protect them!" He transformed in hopes of being able to shed the pain some more.

"No…" His armor started to crack some more as the skin underneath split open in various areas. His right arm started to feel like it was being torn apart from the inside while the outside felt an extreme burning sensation.

A powerful blast of lightning ran across the floor, jumping up several feet in front of Kynour and slammed into her, sending the demon into a wall, knocking her unconscious. "Siegfried!" He heard a familiar elderly voice. He turned his head to see Prometheus kneeling beside Raphael. "You're not ready to fight against that kind of power. Grab onto me and I'll teleport us to safety." He urged while holding his index and middle fingers on his right hand an inch above his mouth, mystical words escaped his lips as a blue circle surrounded him. Raphael and Cassandra grabbed onto the old priest causing the circle to expand to include them in its hallow center.

"You will not escape!" He heard Cecilia roar with anger as she grabbed the amulet from Kynour's hand and aimed it at her hated enemies. The amulet started to glow a bright red, leaking more evil energy than Siegfried has ever sensed in his life.

_There's no way half of the amulet can be this powerful. I've…never sensed anything like it! Soul Edge pales in comparison to such a large force. No, it doesn't matter. I've made my decision! I will atone for my past here and now!_ Siegfried held his demon arm over his body like a shield, "I will atone for my sins. I will protect Cassandra!" He shouted proudly.

"Siegfried!" He heard Cassandra cry. A strange blue light started to appear around him. He turned his head to see Cassandra, standing up with her eyes closed, head up and her arms wide open. Her body was glowing a familiar colored blue, the energy it emanated was vaguely familiar, but where was it that he felt that kind of power, that kind of energy?

"Wait, this is…" Images of a long, thin blue sword appeared in his mind. "Soul Calibur…" He was awestruck. This whole time Soul Calibur had been with them, lying in dormant inside of Cassandra.

"Cassandra…is…Soul…Cal…ibur. Soul…the sword is…react…ting…to the…amu…let." Raphael said weakly as Prometheus stopped his spell and looked up at Cassandra with part fear and part awe.

Siegfried turned his head as a powerful roar echoed in his ears. "Uf!" He felt the wind leave his lungs as a thin beam pierced his left breast about two inches above his heart. The beam continued its deadly path until it collided with Cassandra's aura, a fierce battle of powers erupted as the beam tried to forcefully enter the aura.

"Siegfried, we don't stand a chance against such an enemy, even with Soul Calibur. We must evacuate now! As long as I'm this close to Soul Calibur, I can teleport us and anyone within a few feet to safety instantly." Prometheus urged.

"I understand what you're saying…but…" He looked at his demonic claw and then at the red beam that was logged in his breast. He knew that if he were to adjust his location in any way other than forward, the beam would tear right through him in the opposite direction. Left would mean instant death, right could mean losing a lung and arm with the added bonus of a painful death while ducking mean "bye bye" lung and shoulder. Still, he wasn't too sure exactly how much longer it'd take before the beam would finally pierce through the barrier and kill the Athens girl.

His felt his strength start to leave his body, the wound in his chest being the cause of his newest dilemma. Without medical treatment he'll most likely die soon, not like there was a doctor nearby. Well, Raphael was a doctor, but he was out of commission. "I'm sorry but I can't go. For once in my life I'm in control. Not destiny. Not fate. Not anyone or anything but me. And I've decided that for me to evacuate and fight for another day isn't an option. I can't let this thing continueto exist. Not now, not ever." Siegfried ripped the stone like amuletthe elder had given to him off of his neck.

He tossed the amulet over his shoulder behind him. It landed and slid over to Prometheus. "If I should fail, she'll be the one to continue. Prometheus, please tell her I said thank you. Thank you for treating me as a human; tell her my final request. To forget about me and to continue living her life in peace. To find herself a kind, honest man and raise a family. To grow old and die with that kind, honest man. If you can tell her that, then I'll die with no regrets."

"Siegfried…you've changed." Prometheus let out a sigh, knowing that arguing with the dying knight would be pointless.

"How sweet. A true knight to the bitter end. I'll be sure to tell that girl what kind of a gentleman you are before I destroy her soul!" Cecilia finished her wicked comment with a sinister laugh. The blue aura dissipated as Cassandra dropped down unconscious, the beam narrowly missed her head and struck the wall behind.

Siegfried seized the opportunity and charged forward and grabbed the glowing amulet. Beams of red light started to shoot around the room, destroying everything they touched. The walls, roof, floor, everything. The citadel started to shake as it was on the verge of collapsing.

"You foolish demon!" Cecilia growled as red energy shot through Siegfried's body. A loud demonic roar could be heard as his demonic features exploded into red pellets of light, revealing human features in their place.

"You may have destroyed my demon's physical form! But…" Siegfried growled as he struggled to take the amulet from Cecilia's grasp. He heard a loud "zwip" behind him. No longer could he sense Soul Calibur, so he knew Prometheus had escaped with Cassandra and Raphael. Now there was only one task left before he died.

His eyes started to glow green as a dark green mist like aura appeared around his body, electricity started to form down his right arm. It was like before, on that fateful day two years ago when he managed to escape from Soul Edge's grasp and defeat the worlds greatest warriors. The power coursing through his body, was it Nightmare's true powers? He finally realized what was happening. His powers, for over two years they weren't diminishing, they were changing. Soul Calibur had caused some kind of reaction to change his powers. Now that the change was complete, they had returned and able to be used by his true self.

"Impossible! I destroyed Nightmare! His powers should have gone with him!" Cecilia was shocked at the sight. Only a powerful demon like Nightmare stood a chance at ripping the half amulet out of her hands. But Nightmare was gone, yet his powers seemed to have transferred to a mere mortal. "How is it possible that his powers still exist in you!"

"That's because his powers are now mine! Let me show you what true hell is like!" Siegfried smirked as his armor completely shattered from the amulet's power. A sphere of pure destruction appeared over the amulet, slowly growing with every passing second.

The sphere grew large enough to where it consumed him and Cecilia, burning pain entered their flesh. "You…demon! Your power is no match for mine! I'll destroy you and this whole place!" The sphere suddenly disappeared. A red beam shot from the top and bottom for the amulet.

_I can't fight against her! Her will over the amulet is too strong! Looks like this is the end…goodbye Cassandra._ In a bright flash, the citadel exploded in a fiery display. What was once a grand structure with a legendary history was now reduced toa useless pile of burning brick and wood

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Jesse walked into a room as saw Melanie staring through a window in the direction Siegfried and the others had traveled to. The mountain in the distant seemed to remind her of a candle. "Melanie, what are you doing here? I've been looking for you all day." Jesse said as she walked over to the little girl.

"I heard someone scream." Melanie explained.

"Oh? Well who was it that screamed?" Jesse asked out of curiosity.

"Siegfried. I heard him scream. He kept saying sorry." Melanie said with a tear in her eyes.

"Don't be silly. Siegfried is over at the…" Jesse turned and looked through the window. She finally saw what Melanie saw. A burning mountain in the distance. A mountain she recognized. "No…General Johnson!" Jesse quickly rushed back through the door, tears pouring down her eyes screaming out for someone nearby to hear her.

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"Elder! Are you in here?" Kyle Raynor heard Dyne's voice as the door crept open. "There you are. Sir, my men and I have came to get you and the others. We're going to take you back home where it's safe." Dyne said. Several seconds passed but he heard no reply.

"Elder? Are you okay?" Dyne asked a bit confused.

The elder wheeled his wheel chair around to face Dyne, he hand resting on his chin. "Things have been strange lately. The shadowstalkers have all but disappeared. What's going on?"

The look in Dyne's eyes held a sadness, the elder recognized that kind of sadness. It was the type that came from the heart. Something had happened. Something horrible. "Dyne, tell me son. What's on your mind."

Dyne dropped to his knees, "Elder, I'm sorry. But It's Siegfried." His hands hit the ground as tear drops left spots on the dusty floor.

The elder sat there in silence, watching as Dyne remained there crying. He wasn't dumb. He easily figured out what had happened, "So Siegfried is dead…"

**Preview of what to come.**

**Everyone grieves over Siegfried's death. But their grieving is cut short as their planet is beginning to tear itself apart. Prometheus lies in his death bed and reveals his past and who he really is. How can they fight against half of an amulet with that much destructive power? What? There is a way?**

**Next Chapter: Cassandra's Pain: A New Hope**


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